title: Metal atomic contact under electrochemical potential control.
abstract: Electric conductance of the metal atomic contacts of Au and Pd was investigated using a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) in solution under electrochemical potential control. At the hydrogen evolution potential, a fractional conductance peak appeared around 0.5 G(0) (G(0) = 2e(2)/h) in the conductance histograms of Au contacts. For Pd contacts, peaks appeared around 1.0 G(0) in the conductance histograms at the hydrogen evolution potential. The conductance behavior and atomic configuration of the metal atomic contacts at hydrogen evolution potential were discussed based on previously reported experimental results and theoretical calculation results. We have proposed the formation of hydrogen adsorbed metal Au and Pd contacts in solution at the hydrogen evolution potential.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. kiguti@chem.titech.ac.jp
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kiguchi
authors.forename: Kei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakoshi