High rectification ratios of Fe–porphyrin molecules on Au facets

We report room temperature measurements of current vs. voltage (I–V) from self-assembled Fe porphyrin [Fe(III) 5,15-di[4-(s-acetylthio)phenyl]-10,20-diphenyl porphine] molecular layers formed on annealed gold crystal facets on glass substrates. I–V curves were measured using an atomic force microscope with a conductive platinum tip. We observed a rectifier effect that shows asymmetric I–V curves from a monolayer of molecules. The majority rectification ratios at ±1 V obtained from hundreds of I–V lie in between 20 and 200, with the highest up to 9000. This is in contrast to the symmetric I–V curves measured from a few nm thick multilayer molecular islands. We contribute the observed rectification in ultrathin FeP molecular layers from asymmetric Schottky barriers that result from molecules in different bonding strengths to electrodes of gold and platinum.

► FeP molecular layers or islands of different thickness were self-assembled on Au.
► High rectification ratios up to 9000 observed in sub-nm thick FeP molecular layers.
► Measured current vs. voltage using a conductive AFM tip as one electrode.
► Observed rectification of symmetric molecules using two different electrodes.