Carotene as a Molecular Wire: Conducting Atomic Force Microscopy
摘要:
A conducting atomic force microscope was used to measure the electrical properties of carotenoid molecules attached to a gold electrode. The thiolated carotene molecules were embedded in insulating n-alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers. At a contact force of a few nanoNewtons, a carotenoid molecule behaves ohmically with a resistance of approximately 4.2 +/- 0.7 G Ohm; over a million times more conductive than an alkane chain of similar length. Modes of electron transport are discussed.