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Science 22 June 2001:
Vol. 292. no. 5525, pp. 2303 - 2307
DOI: 10.1126/science.1060294
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Reports

Conductance Switching in Single Molecules Through Conformational Changes

Z. J. Donhauser,1 B. A. Mantooth,1 K. F. Kelly,1 L. A. Bumm,1 J. D. Monnell,1 J. J. Stapleton,1 D. W. Price Jr.,2 A. M. Rawlett,2* D. L. Allara,1dagger J. M. Tour,2dagger P. S. Weiss1dagger

We tracked over time the conductance switching of single and bundled phenylene ethynylene oligomers isolated in matrices of alkanethiolate monolayers. The persistence times for isolated and bundled molecules in either the ON or OFF switch state range from seconds to tens of hours. When the surrounding matrix is well ordered, the rate at which the inserted molecules switch is low. Conversely, when the surrounding matrix is poorly ordered, the inserted molecules switch more often. We conclude that the switching is a result of conformational changes in the molecules or bundles, rather than electrostatic effects of charge transfer.

1 Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-6300, USA.
2 Department of Chemistry and Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA.
*   Present address: Motorola, 7700 South River Parkway, Tempe, AZ 85248, USA.

dagger    To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: dla3{at}psu.edu (D.L.A.); tour{at}rice.edu (J.M.T.); stm{at}psu.edu (P.S.W.)

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