Fabrications and Electron Transport Properties of One Dimensional Arrays of Gold and Sulfur Containing Fullerene Nanoparticles

Novel arrays of gold nanoparticles with sulfur containing fullerene nanoparticles were self-assembled through the formation of Au-S covalent bonds. Disulfide functional groups were introduced into C60 molecule by reacting propyl 2-aminoethyl disulfide with C60. The two dimensional(2D) arrays were formed at the interface of aqueous phase of gold particles and organic phase of fullerene particles as a blue transparent film. TEM images showed that the fullerene spacing between adjacent Au(~10 nm) particles was about 2.1±0.4 nm, which was consistent with the result of 2.18 nm by molecular molding calculations(MM+). The arrays were deposited on the top of pairs of gold electrodes to form 2D colloidal single electron devices. The electrode pairs were made by electron beam lithography techniques, and the separation between tips of the two electrodes in a pair was less then 100 nm. Transport measurements at low temperatures exhibited Coulomb-Blockade type current-voltage characteristics, the lower the temperature the more pronounced the Coulomb gap. Also, step-by-step method was used to assemble one-dimensional(1D) array of gold nanoparticles with fullerene derivative between two electrodes spaced with 15 nm. The Coulomb blockade behavior of 1D arrays was clearer than that of 2D arrays.