Mo6S3I6 molecular wires: from one-dimensional electron fluids to a self-organised critical self-assembled network

Abstract

We have studied the charge transport through flexible Mo6S3I6 molecular wires of different diameters and found that it is dominated by two main phenomena. Tunnelling from Fermi liquid electrodes into the Tomonaga–Luttinger liquid electron system of the one-dimensional wires determines the behaviour of about half the measured samples, while for the other half environmental Coulomb blockade arising from deformations or imperfections is the main mechanism. The unique S-bonding chemistry of Mo6S3I6 wire ends and gold nanoparticles enables self-assembly of large molecular-scale inorganic networks. These show an intrinsic tendency to self-organize into a scale-invariant critical state as found also in biological neural networks.