Intra-molecular electron transfer and electric conductance via sequential hopping: Unified theoretical description

The relation between intra-molecular electron transfer in the donor-bridge-acceptor system and zero-bias conductance of the same bridge in the metal-molecule-metal junction is analyzed for the sequential hopping regime of both processes. The electron transfer rate and molecular conductance are expressed in terms of rates characterizing each individual step of electron motion. Based on the results obtained, we derive the analytical expression that relates these two quantities in the general case of the energy landscape governing hopping transport.