Single-molecule conductance with nitrile and amino contacts with Ag or Cu electrodes. (20th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Li, Dong-Fang; Mao, Jin-Chuan; Chen, De-Li; Chen, Fang; Ze-Wen, Hong; Zhou, Xiao-Yi; Wang, Ya-Hao; Zhou, Xiao-Shun; Niu, Zhen-Jiang; Maisonhaute, Emmanuel
• Is Part Of: Electrochimica acta. Volume 174(2015)
• Page Start: 340
• Page End: 344
• Publication Date: 2015-08-20
• Subjects: Electrochemical STM-BJ -- Silver -- Copper -- Amino group -- Nitrile group; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry, Industrial -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2015.06.018
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4686

Abstract

Abstract: The single-molecule conductance of 1, 4-dicyanobenzene (DCB), 1, 4-benzenediamine (BDA) and 4, 4'-biphenyldicarbonitrile (BPDC) with Ag and/or Cu electrodes is measured by electrochemical jump-to-contact STM-break junction. All single-molecule junctions present three sets of conductance values revealing different contact geometries. We observe that the single-molecule conductance of Ag-BDA-Ag junction is larger that of Ag-DCB-Ag junction, and DCB with Ag contacts are more conductive than that with Cu ones. This is related to a different electronic coupling between the molecules and the electrodes. Tunneling decay constants of 1.70 and 1.68 per phenyl group were found for Ag and Cu electrodes, respectively. The present study therefore shows that nitrile and amino groups can also be used as effective anchors for other metals than gold.