Karl Franzens University Graz | Graz University of Technology | |
"Touching" single functional molecules: From switches to wires Functional molecules on surfaces and their assembly into pre-defined architectures are key challenges in nanotechnology and of interest in various fields from molecular electronics over novel materials to molecular machines. Various examples of functional molecules, studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under ultrahigh vacuum conditions will be discussed. Specifically designed molecular building blocks are connected to two-dimensional networks or one-dimensional chains, which can act as molecular wires. Their properties are studied by pulling molecular chains from a surface, measuring either its conductance or the forces that are acting on a single polymer in such a geometry. |