MOLECULAR SCALE ELECTRONICS - SYNTHESES AND TESTING

This paper describes four significant breakthroughs in the syntheses a nd testing of molecular scale electronic devices. The 16-mer of oligo( 2-dodecylphenylene ethynylene) was prepared on Merrifields resin using the iterative divergent/convergent approach which significantly strea mlines the preparation of this molecular scale wire. The formation of self-assembled monolayers and multilayers on gold surfaces of rigid ro d conjugated oligomers that have thiol, alpha, omega-dithiol, thioacet yl, or alpha, omega-dithioacelyl end groups have been studied. The dir ect observation of charge transport through molecules of benzene-1, 4- dithiol, which have been self-assembled onto two facing gold electrode s, has been achieved. Finally, we report initial studies into what eff ect varying the molecular alligator clip has on the molecule scale wir e's conductivity.