Single-wall-carbon-nanotube/single-carbon-chain molecular junctions

Stable junctions between a single carbon chain and two single-wall carbon nanotubes were produced via coalescence of functionalized fullerenes filled into a single-wall carbon nanotube and directly imaged by in situ transmission electron microscopy. First principles quantum chemical calculations support the observed stability of such molecular junctions. They also show that short carbon chains bound to other carbon structures are cumulenes and stable semiconductors due to Peierls-like distortion. Junctions like this can be regarded as archetypical building blocks for all-carbon molecular electronics.