Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Article number | 9002 |
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark> | 11/03/2015 |
<mark>Journal</mark> | Scientific Reports |
Volume | 5 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Publication Status | Published |
<mark>Original language</mark> | English |
Electrical and mechanical properties of elongated gold-molecule-gold junctions formed by tolane-type molecules with different anchoring groups (pyridyl, thiol, amine, nitrile and dihydrobenzothiophene) were studied in current-sensing force spectroscopy experiments and density functional simulations. Correlations between forces, conductances and junction geometries demonstrate that aromatic tolanes bind between electrodes as single molecules or as weakly-conductive dimers held by mechanically-weak pi - pi stacking. In contrast with the other anchors that form only S-Au or N-Au bonds, the pyridyl ring also forms a highly-conductive cofacial link to the gold surface. Binding of multiple molecules creates junctions with higher conductances and mechanical strengths than the single-molecule ones.