Electron Transport Properties of Single-Molecule-Bearing Multiple Redox Levels Studied by EC-STM/STS

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Multielectron systems as possible components of molecular electronics devices are attracting compelling experimental and theoretical interest. Here we studied by electrochemical scanning tunneling techniques (EC-STMicroscopy and EC-STSpectroscopy) the electron transport properties of a redox molecule endowed with two redox levels, namely, the hydroquinone/quinone (H 2 Q/Q) couple. By forming self-assembled monolayers on Au(111) of oligo-phenylene-vinylene (OPV) derivatized H 2 Q/Q moieties, we were able to explore the features of the tunneling current/overpotential relation in the EC-STS setup. The behavior of the tunneling current sheds light onto the mechanism of electron transport involving the redox levels of the H 2 Q/Q redox pair coupled to tip and substrate electrodes.