Orthogonally Self-assembled Nanoparticle Heterodimers: a Study on Synthesis and Characterization

As silicon technology is scaled down out of the bulk regime, quantum effects begin to dominate electronic behavior. Because of this, molecular electronics is becoming an increasingly important area of research. Several challenges need to be overcome before molecular electronics can be a viable replacement for silicon components. A major challenge is establishing a method for insertion of these devices into patterned circuits. Orthogonal self-assembly is a technique that would allow for precise placement of a molecule of interest into a circuit. This technique utilizes the preference of one adsorbant to bind to a specific substrate over another. Thus, a molecule that contains terminal groups with different functionalities can only be inserted in one particular orientation. This work details the synthesis and characterization of novel bifunctional linear linker molecules that were used to bind gold and platinum nanoparticles using orthogonal self-assembly. These heterodimers were created as a model for the possibility of using similar bimetallic structures as molecular electronic components.