Patent ID: 7629606

Claim:
A functional molecular element which comprises electrodes and π-electron conjugated molecules held between said electrodes, wherein each of said π-electron conjugated molecules has a substantially planar skeleton and side chains connecting to said planar skeleton and also forms an adsorbing molecule, with said planar skeleton oriented substantially parallel to said electrodes, as said side chains adsorb to said electrodes, such that a structure including said electrodes and at least said adsorbing molecules allows current to flow in the direction perpendicular to said planar skeleton, wherein said π-electron conjugated molecule is any of tetrapyrrole derivatives, phthalocyanine derivative, and aromatic condensed polycyclic compounds having three or more rings; wherein said π-electron conjugated molecule or different species thereof is any of porphyrin derivatives, linear tetrapyrrole derivatives, and coronene derivatives; wherein said π-electron conjugated molecule includes a biladienone derivative represented by the general formula below: wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 independently denote identical or different C 3 -C 12 alkyl groups.