Functional molecular wires.

The properties of self-assembled molecules may be tuned by sequentially coupling components on a gold surface, the molecular electronics toolbox of chemically reactive building blocks yielding molecular wires with diode-like current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. The bias for rectification in each case is dependent upon the sequence of electron-donating and electron-accepting moieties and similar behaviour has been achieved for four different contacting techniques.

Molecular electronics: connection across nano-sized electrode gaps.

Prefabricated nano-scale structures in which gold electrodes are separated by an insulating core permit self-assembly of a single string "molecular necklace" around its circumference; these devices require no further invasive metal deposition following molecular insertion and exhibit symmetrical current-voltage (I-V) curves that mimic those of self-assembled films on planar substrates.