title: Conductance switching and organization of two structurally related molecular wires on gold.
abstract: The self-assembly and electron transfer properties of adsorbed organic molecules are of interest for the construction of miniaturized molecular circuitries. We have investigated with scanning probe microscopy the self-organization of two structurally related molecular wires embedded within a supportive alkanethiol matrix. Our results evidence heterogeneous adsorption patterns of the molecular wires on gold with either incommensurate unit cells driven into assembly by lateral interactions or a dynamic, commensurate distribution on gold, along with formation of distinct 2D phases. We also observed diffusion-based conductance switching for one of the molecular wires, due to its propensity toward weaker lateral interactions and Au-S adatom formation. We have further demonstrated through the use of scanning tunneling spectroscopy differential current-voltage response for each molecular wire, despite their close structural similarity. Such molecular wires embedded in alkanethiol matrix and exhibiting conductance-switching phenomena have the potential to be used for the functionalization of electrodes in bioelectronic devices.
authors.affiliation: Leiden Institute of Physics-Huygens Laboratories and ‡Leiden Institute of Chemistry-Gorlaeus Laboratories, Leiden University , P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Razvan C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Stan
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kros
authors.forename: Namik
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akkilic
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: Nusrat J M
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sanghamitra