The field of molecular electronics is an interdisciplinary endeavor to understand electron transport in molecules and utilize individual molecules in new nanoscale technologies. In previous studies of metal-single molecule-metal junctions, much focus has been placed on the effect of changing the linker and the bridge groups, with the effect of changing the electrode material less frequently explored. To date, gold is the most commonly used electrode in these experiments as, unlike other metals, it is air-stable and broadly unreactive. Our group has recently developed a new scanning tunneling microscope-based break junction (STM-BJ) instrument that operates under an inert nitrogen atmosphere within a glovebox, lifting the limitation of air-sensitivity. This opens up the possibility of routinely using many previously experimentally challenging metals as electrode materials in solution studies. Using this new STM-BJ setup, we are now working to systematically study the effects of changing the metal electrode in molecular junctions for the first time. Our initial experiments target prototypical HOMO- and LUMO-conducting molecular wires bound to air-sensitive metal electrodes such as Ag, Cu, and Ni, to better understand the influence of changing electrode density of states and workfunction on molecular conductance.

Single-molecular junctions comprising air-sensitive metal electrodes

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.