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A Tripodal Molecule on a Gold Surface : Orientation-Dependent Coupling and Electronic Properties of the Molecular Legs
Journal
ACS Nano
Volume
7
Number
7
Pages / Article-Number
6170-6180
Keywords
molecular electronics, multiterminal molecule, single-molecule junction, submolecular resolution, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, density functional theory
Abstract
The realization of molecular electronics demands a detailed knowledge of the correlation between chemical groups and electronic function. It has become obvious during the last years that the conformation of a molecule and its coupling to the connecting electrodes plays a crucial role in its conductance behavior and its electronic function, e.g., as a switch. Knowledge about these relationships is therefore essential for future design of molecular electronic building blocks. We present a new three-dimensional molecule, consisting of three identical molecular wires connected to a headgroup. Due to the well-defined spatial arrangement of the molecule in a nonplanar geometry, it is possible to investigate the conductance behavior of these wires with respect to their position and coupling to the surface electrode with the submolecular resolution of a scanning tunneling microscope. The experimental findings are supported by calculations of the electronic structure and conformation of the molecule on the surface by density functional theory with dispersion corrections.