分子探針を用いる走査型トンネル顕微鏡による単一分子分析
スポンサーリンク
概要
- 論文の詳細を見る
We have developed molecular tips of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for single-molecule analyses on solid surfaces. The molecular tips enable the selective observation of functional groups and metal ions on the basis of chemical interactions between the sample and tip molecules. A deliberate design for the chemical structure of a molecular tip leads to sophisticated molecular recognition at the single-molecule level, including chiral recognition and selective visualization of atomic defects in carbon nanotubes. Moreover, electron transfer from a single molecule to adjacent another single molecule can be quantified by molecular STM tips. Such electron transfer plays an essential role in the functional nanostructures realized by a self-assembly technique, in which chemical interactions are utilized to organize molecules. However, rather little is known about the electron-transfer property between single molecules. In addition, we have demonstrated that the measurement of this electron transfer is useful for ultrasensitive sensing applications, e.g., the detection of a single DNA molecule.