title: Covalently bridging gaps in single-walled carbon nanotubes with conducting molecules.
abstract: Molecular electronics is often limited by the poorly defined nature of the contact between the molecules and the metal surface. We describe a method to wire molecules into gaps in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Precise oxidative cutting of a SWNT produces carboxylic acid-terminated electrodes separated by gaps of </=10 nanometers. These point contacts react with molecules derivatized with amines to form molecular bridges held in place by amide linkages. These chemical contacts are robust and allow a wide variety of molecules to be tested electrically. In addition to testing molecular wires, we show how to install functionality in the molecular backbone that allows the conductance of the single-molecule bridges to switch with pH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
authors.forename: Xuefeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Joshua P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Klare
authors.forename: Yiliang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Meninder S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Purewal
authors.forename: Iris W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Byung Hee
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caldwell
authors.forename: Limin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'brien
authors.forename: Jiaming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Breslow
authors.forename: Shalom J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wind
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hone
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nuckolls