Towards individual molecules as electronic components

The goal of electronic functionality within an individual organic molecule was set many decades ago, but achieving it has not been straightforward. The simple combining rules of chemistry allow an unlimited variety of structures, and it has not been clear which are worth pursuing. It has also not been clear how it might be possible to assemble well-defined nanostructures of usable complexity. While the first steps along this road have required the development of new concepts and have been painfully slow, several milestones have now been passed. The confusion surrounding conduction through ultrathin layers has now been resolved, and stable low-defect two-terminal devices have now been fabricated in which the dominant charge transport is demonstrably through the electroactive organic molecules. Results obtained from these nanostructures will provide basic information about charge transport mechanisms on the molecular scale that will be vital for the future design of high-performance electronic components.