This volume contains the proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Atomic and Molecular Wires". It was sponsored by the Ministry of Scientific Affairs Division special program on Nanoscale Science with the support of the CNRS and the Max Planck Institute. Scientists working or interested in the properties of wires at a subnanoscale were brought together in Les Houches (France) from 6 to 10 May 1996. Subnanoscale wires can be fabricated either by surface physicists (atomic wires) or by synthetic chemists (molecular wires). Both communities present their foremost advances using, for example, STM to assemble atomic lines atom for atom, to fabricate a mask for such a line or using the wide range of chemical synthesis techniques to obtain long, rigid and conjugated oligomers. Interconnecting such tiny wires to sources (voltage, current) continues to demand a great technological effort. But nanolithography associated with microfabrication or STM are now clearly identified paths for measuring the electrical resistance of an atomic or a molecular wire. The first measurements have been reported on Xe , benzene, C ' di(phenylene-ethynylene) showing 2 60 the need for a deeper understanding of transport phenomena through subnanowires. Such transport phenomena like tunnel (off-resonance) transport and Coulomb blockade have been discussed by theorists with an emphasis on the exponential decrease of the tunnel current with the wire length versus the ballistic regime of transport.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly developing field of molecular electronics. It focuses on our present understanding of the electrical conduction in single-molecule circuits and provides a thorough introduction to the experimental techniques and theoretical concepts. It will also constitute as the first textbook-like introduction to both the experiment and theory of electronic transport through single atoms and molecules. In this sense, this publication will prove invaluable to both researchers and students interested in the field of nanoelectronics and nanoscience in general.Molecular Electronics is self-contained and unified in its presentation. It may be used as a textbook on nanoelectronics by graduate students and advanced undergraduates studying physics and chemistry. In addition, included are previously unpublished material that will help researchers gain a deeper understanding into the basic concepts involved in the field of molecular electronics.

Due to the rapid growth in the electronics industry for over the last century, the demand for more advanced materials has been raised. As a result of this, the number of the scientific studies to develop new type of electronic materials has increased and new fields of research such as molecular electronics and nanotechnology are now established. The trend in the advances in electronics follows the miniaturisation of the electrical components and therefore introducing single or a few molecules into electronic devices has become an important topic. In this work, a summary of the new aspects/developments in the field of single-molecule electronics is presented. Symmetrical tolane compounds with thiol (SH), amino (NH2), pyridyl (Py) and cyano (CN) anchoring groups were synthesised and single-molecule conductances of those molecules were systematically compared. With the help of density functional theory (DFT) calculations, single-molecular junction formation mechanism is also identified. Oligoyne molecular wires with different anchoring groups are also synthesised and their electron transport properties at the single-molecule level are studied. The stability of the functional diaryltetrayne compounds is discussed and X-ray molecular structures of the stable tetraynes are presented. The effects of the molecular length and the anchoring group are discussed in detail. Additionally, oligoynes with methyl shielding of the carbon backbone are synthesised and their stability is discussed. Finally, length-persistent, conjugated OPE and tolane analogues with different molecular lengths and amine anchors were synthesised and their transport properties were investigated in quantum dot sensitised solar cells.

There are fundamental and technological limits of conventional microfabrication and microelectronics. Scaling down conventional devices and attempts to develop novel topologies and architectures will soon be ineffective or unachievable at the device and system levels to ensure desired performance. Forward-looking experts continue to search for new paradigms to carry the field beyond the age of microelectronics, and molecular electronics is one of the most promising candidates. The Nano and Molecular Electronics Handbook surveys the current state of this exciting, emerging field and looks toward future developments and opportunities. Molecular and Nano Electronics Explained Explore the fundamentals of device physics, synthesis, and design of molecular processing platforms and molecular integrated circuits within three-dimensional topologies, organizations, and architectures as well as bottom-up fabrication utilizing quantum effects and unique phenomena. Technology in Progress Stay current with the latest results and practical solutions realized for nanoscale and molecular electronics as well as biomolecular electronics and memories. Learn design concepts, device-level modeling, simulation methods, and fabrication technologies used for today's applications and beyond. Reports from the Front Lines of Research Expert innovators discuss the results of cutting-edge research and provide informed and insightful commentary on where this new paradigm will lead. The Nano and Molecular Electronics Handbook ranks among the most complete and authoritative guides to the past, present, and future of this revolutionary area of theory and technology.