Recent Advances in Molecular Scale Electronics

ABSTRACT: This paper describes four significant breakthroughs in the syntheses and test-ing of molecular scale electronic devices. The 16-mer of oligo(2-dodecylphenylene ethy-nylene) was prepared on Merrifield’s resin using the iterative divergent/convergent approach which significantly streamlines the preparation of this molecular scale wire. The formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and multilayers on gold surfaces of rigid rod conjugated oligomers that have thiol, α,ω-dithiol, thioacetyl, or α,ω-dithioacetyl end groups have been studied. The direct observation of charge transport through molecules of benzene-1,4-dithiol, which have been self-assembled onto two facing gold electrodes, has been achieved. Finally, we are reporting initial studies into what effect varying the molecu-lar alligator clip has on the molecular scale wire’s conductivity