Unveiling the Signature of Adsorbed Organic Solvents for Molecular Electronics through STM Approaches

TL;DR

This study uses STM techniques to investigate residual organic solvents on gold, revealing their persistent adsorption and electronic transport properties, which are crucial for understanding molecular electronics interfaces.

Contribution

It demonstrates the combined use of STM and Break Junction methods to analyze residual solvent layers and their electronic behavior on gold surfaces.

Findings

Solvents remain adsorbed after evaporation on gold.

Electronic transport properties of solvents are characterized.

Residual solvents influence molecular electronic devices.

Abstract

After evaporation of the organic solvents, benzene, toluene, and cyclohexane on gold substrates, Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) shows the presence of a remaining adsorbed layer. The different solvent molecules were individually observed at ambient conditions, and their electronic transport properties characterized through the STM in the Break Junction approach. The combination of both techniques reveals, on one hand, that solvents are not fully evaporated over the gold electrode and, secondly, determines the role of the electronic transport of the solvents in molecular electronics.