Unconventional molecule-resolved current rectification in diamondoid-fullerene hybrids.

ABSTRACT: The unimolecular rectifier is a fundamental building block of molecular electronics. Rectification in single molecules can arise from electron transfer between molecular orbitals displaying asymmetric spatial charge distributions, akin to p-n junction diodes in semiconductors. Here we report a novel all-hydrocarbon molecular rectifier consisting of a diamantane-C60 conjugate. By linking both sp(3) (diamondoid) and sp(2) (fullerene) carbon allotropes, this hybrid molecule opposingly pairs negative and positive electron affinities. The single-molecule conductances of self-assembled domains on Au(111), probed by low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, reveal a large rectifying response of the molecular constructs. This specific electronic behaviour is postulated to or

SUBMITTER: Randel JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4164769 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature