On the mechanical and electronic properties of thiolated gold nanocrystals.
Nanoscale
; 7(5): 1809-19, 2015 Feb 07.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25518743
We present a quantitative exploration, combining experiment and simulation, of the mechanical and electronic properties, as well as the modifications induced by an alkylthiolated coating, at the single nanoparticle (NP) level. We determined the response of the NPs to external pressure in a controlled manner using an atomic force microscope tip. We found a strong reduction in their Young's modulus, as compared to bulk gold, and a significant influence of strain on the electronic properties of the alkylthiolated NPs. Electron transport measurements of tiny molecular junctions (NP/alkylthiol/CAFM tip) show that the effective tunnelling barrier through the adsorbed monolayer strongly decreases by increasing the applied load, which translates in a remarkable and unprecedented increase in the tunnel current. These observations are successfully explained using simulations based on the finite element analysis (FEA) and first-principles calculations that permit one to consider the coupling between the mechanical response of the system and the electric dipole variations at the interface.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nanoscale
Año:
2015
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Francia
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido