Atomically wired molecular junctions: Connecting a single organic molecule by chains of metal atoms

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the formation of hybrid molecular junctions with organic molecules connected by chains of platinum atoms, exhibiting stable metallic conductance and high structural flexibility, advancing atomic-scale interface engineering.

Contribution

It introduces a break junction method to create stable hybrid junctions of organic molecules with metal chains, revealing their conductance and structural properties.

Findings

Hybrid junctions show metallic conductance (~0.1-1G0).

Junctions can be elongated beyond atomic chain length.

Benzene-based junctions have high binding energy and flexibility.

Abstract

Using a break junction technique, we find a clear signature for the formation of conducting hybrid junctions composed of a single organic molecule (benzene, naphthalene or anthracene) connected to chains of platinum atoms. The hybrid junctions exhibit metallic-like conductance (~0.1-1G0), which is rather insensitive to further elongation by additional atoms. At low bias voltage the hybrid junctions can be elongated significantly beyond the length of the bare atomic chains. Ab initio calculations reveal that benzene based hybrid junctions have a significant binding energy and high structural flexibility that may contribute to the survival of the hybrid junction during the elongation process. The fabrication of hybrid junctions opens the way for combining the different properties of atomic chains and organic molecules to realize a new class of atomic scale interfaces.