Hybrid Molecular-Junction Mapping Technique for Simultaneous Measurements of Single-Molecule Electronic Conductance and Its Corresponding Binding Geometry in a Tunneling Junction

Improving the techniques for single-molecule conductance measurements is important for the progress of molecular electronics. In this report, a novel technique, which is named molecular-junction mapping (MJM) technique, is demonstrated to be able to simultaneously measure the electronic conductance of single molecules and their corresponding conformations in an electrode gap. Measured conductances of a few model molecules yield a much narrower distribution as compared with the results obtained using conventional break-junction technique, indicating that better defined metal-molecule contacts can be achieved using this new technique. In addition, multiple binding states of an alkanedithiol molecule in an electrode gap, which give rise to multiple conductance states, are efficiently revealed by this hybrid technique, with the results being consistent with those in former reports. This newly demonstrated technique opens up a new avenue for the study of single-molecule electronic properties and will instantly add significant assets to the tool library available for researchers in molecular electronics.