For those interested in SERS from Science editor's choice.
APPLIED PHYSICS: Glimpsing Tiny Live Wires Julia Fahrenkamp-Uppenbrink
The realization of molecular electronics requires reproducible methods for
creating devices in which conduction occurs through individual molecules.
Current methods rely on the fabrication of many devices to prove
statistically that a single-molecule junction has been realized, but
knowledge of the specific chemical environment of the conducting molecules
tends to be limited, complicating the interpretation of the data. Ward *et
al*. present a method for simultaneous electron transport measurements and
single-molecule sensing using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) on
nanometer-scale structures (nanogaps) bridged by individual molecules. The
metal electrodes that are used as contacts to the molecules also function as
plasmonic antennae, resulting in an enormously enhanced vibrational signal.
In about 1 in 10 junctions, changes in conductance with time correlate
closely with changes in the SERS signal, supporting a link between electron
transport and single-molecule conformational changes. The relation between
conductance and SERS spectra remains complex, but steadily improving
theoretical analyses paired with such measurements should shed light on the
fundamental mechanisms at play. -- *JFU*
*Nano Lett*. *8*, 10.1021/nl073346h (2008).
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