STM study of morphology and electron transport features in cytochrome c and nanocluster molecule monolayers

The morphology and electron tunneling through single cytochrome c and nanocluster Pt5(CO)7[P(C6H5)]4 molecules organized as monolayer Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) films on graphite substrate have been studied experimentally using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy techniques with sub-nanometer spatial resolution in a double barrier tunnel junction configuration STM tip–monomolecular film–conducting substrate at ambient conditions. STM images of the films revealed globular structures with characteristic diameters (∼3.5 nm for the protein molecule and ∼1.2 nm for the nanocluster). The spectroscopic study by recording the tunneling current–bias voltage (I–V) curves revealed tunneling I–V characteristics with features as steps of different width and heights that are dependent on the STM tip position over the molecule in the monolayer, giving evidence for sequential discrete electron-tunneling effects with the combination of the single electron Coulomb-charging energy and the electronic energy level separation (molecular spectrum) in such immobilized metalloprotein and nanocluster structures that can be of interest for the development of bioelectronic and hybrid functional nanosystems.