Bonding and electronic transport properties of fullerene and fullerene derivatives in break-junction geometries

Abstract

Fullerenes are considered anchoring groups for molecular electronics due to a large contact area and their affinity for noble metals. The conductances of fullerene-terminated molecules, however, are found to be even lower than for thiol termination. The effects of weak molecule-metal coupling and symmetry breaking are studied by transport measurements of C(60) and functionalized C(60). The results demonstrate highy efficient contacts between Au and C(60), despite of deposition from solution.