Breakthrough in nanotechnology by uncovering conductive property of carbon-based molecules

“Our work provides a new perspective on what determines the electronic properties of materials,” Petek said. “The realization that hollow molecules can have metal-like conductivity opens the way to develop novel materials with electronic and chemical properties that can be tailored by shape and size.”

Although the team worked with fullerenes, the team’s results apply to all hollow molecules, Petek added, including carbon nanotubes—rolled, 1-atom-thick sheets of graphite 100,000 times smaller than a human hair.

The team’s research shows promise for the future of electronics based on molecular conductors. These molecule-based devices surpass the semiconductor and metal conductors of today in terms of lower cost, flexibility, and the ability to meld the speed and power of optics and electronics. Plus, unlike such inorganic conductors as silicon, molecule-based electronics can be miniaturized to a 1-dimensional scale (1-molecule-wide), which may enable them to conduct electricity with minimal loss and thus improve the performance of an electronic device.

Traditionally, the problem has been that organic conductors have not conducted electrical current very well, Petek said. The Pitt team’s discovery could enable scientists to finally overcome that problem, he added.

“Metal-like behavior in a molecular material—as we have found—is highly surprising and desirable in the emerging field of molecular electronics,” he said.

“Our work is a unique example of how nanoscale materials can be used as atom-sized building blocks for molecular materials that could replace silicon and copper in electronic devices, luminescent displays, photovoltaic cells, and other technologies.”

To view the paper, visit the Science Web site at www.sciencemag.org.