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Updated: Apr 6, 2026
Covalent Attachment of Single Molecules for AFM-based Force Spectroscopy
Published on: March 16, 2020
Alternative types of molecule-decorated atomic chains in Au-CO-Au single-molecule junctions
Zoltán Balogh1, Péter Makk1, András Halbritter1
1Department of Physics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics and MTA-BME Condensed Matter Research Group, Budafoki ut 8, 1111 Budapest, Hungary.
Abstract:
We investigate the formation and evolution of Au-CO single-molecule break junctions. The conductance histogram exhibits two distinct molecular configurations, which are further investigated by a combined statistical analysis. According to conditional histogram and correlation analysis these molecular configurations show strong anticorrelations with each other and with pure Au monoatomic junctions and atomic chains. We identify molecular precursor configurations with somewhat higher conductance, which are formed prior to single-molecule junctions. According to detailed length analysis two distinct types of molecule-affected chain-formation processes are observed, and we compare these results to former theoretical calculations considering bridge- and atop-type molecular configurations where the latter has reduced conductance due to destructive Fano interference.
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