Study finds the origin of 'odd-even' effects
(Phys.org)—The most intriguing property of nano-scale organic devices is their tunability. Their properties can be tweaked by changing the organic structure. There have been several studies exploring the organic structure of alkylthiolate self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) anchored to a gold or silver electrode and contacted with a top-electrode, creating a metal—SAM—metal junction. Studies have shown that an odd number of carbons demonstrate a different charge transfer compared to an even number of carbons, a property known as the "odd-even" effect. While this effect has something to do with the junction point near the top electrode, the reason this occurs is still unclear because it is difficult to separate molecular effects from interface effects.