Journal article
Single-molecule junctions with epitaxial graphene nanoelectrodes
†Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik und Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Molekulare Materialien, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 7/A3, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.1
‡Institut für Theoretische Physik und Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Molekulare Materialien, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Staudtstr. 7/B2, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.2
§Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Complutense, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.3
∥IMDEA-Nanoscience, Campus de Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid, Spain.4
On the way to ultraflat single-molecule junctions with transparent electrodes, we present a fabrication scheme based on epitaxial graphene nanoelectrodes. As a suitable molecule, we identified a molecular wire with fullerene anchor groups. With these two components, stable electrical characteristics could be recorded.
Electrical measurements show that single-molecule junctions with graphene and with gold electrodes display a striking agreement. This motivated a hypothesis that the differential conductance spectra are rather insensitive to the electrode material. It is further corroborated by the assignment of asymmetries and spectral features to internal molecular degrees of freedom.
The demonstrated open-access graphene electrodes and the electrode-insensitive molecules provide a model system that will allow for a thorough investigation of an individual single-molecule contact with additional probes.
| Language: | English |
|---|---|
| Year: | 2015 |
| Pages: | 3512-3518 |
| ISSN: | 15306992 and 15306984 |
| Types: | Journal article |
| DOI: | 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b00877 |
