Novel Allotropes of Carbon in Molecular Electronics

This section focuses on the electronic properties of other, novel carbon materials as relevant to their use in molecular electronics. The appropriate background regarding properties and preparation methods is discussed, while an interested reader may refer to Chapters 1-4 for more details on electrochemistry of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), graphene, and CNTs. Here, we specifically consider electrodes made of confined sp2 carbon layers, and limit the discussion to graphene and CNTs as prominent examples. 

Graphene sheets are typically composed of two faces (i) high-quality sp2 carbon network without defects (the basal plane) and (ii) carbon network rich in defects 

---

In addition to traditional carbon materials, novel allotropes of carbon have unique electronic properties that may be exploited to provide some advantages to electronic device fabrication. These may serve as electrode materials in molecular electronics, or may form the basis of extant electronic devices with specifications that exceed those of existing electronics. In any case, carbon electrodes provide a rich area of study for molecular electronic systems. 

This chapter discusses the use of carbon-based electrode materials in the construction of MJs and the use of carbon-based materials in related studies (such as electrochemical experiments and in the construction of other electronic devices). The methods for making MJs are first outlined, followed by the use of the more novel allotropes of carbon. These materials have interesting electronic properties that provide additional opportunities for their application in molecular electronics relative to more conventional carbon materials. Finally, some ofthe considerations that dictate charge transport across molecular layers in MJs are discussed before we leave with some future prospects. 

---