Optical Modulation of Molecular Conductance

BATTACHARYYA, S., KIBEL, A.; KODIS, G., LIDDELL, P. A., GERVALDO, M., GUST, D., LINDSAY, S.

NANO LETTERS (PRINT)

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Año: 2011 vol. 11 p. 2709 - 2714

1530-6984

A novel scanning probe microscope stage permits break junction measurements of single molecule conductance while the molecules are illuminated with visible light. We studied a porphyrin-fullerene dyad molecule designed to form a charge separated state on illumination. A significant fraction of illuminated molecules become more conductive, returning to a lower conductance in the dark, suggesting the formation of a long-lived charge separated state on the indium–tin oxide surface. Transient absorption spectra of these molecular layers are consistent with formation of a long-lived charge separated state, a finding with implications for the design of molecular photovoltaic devices.