Enhancing the Pressure-Sensitive Electrical Conductance of Self-Assembled Monolayers

The inherent large HOMO–LUMO gap of alkyl thiol (CnS) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has limited their application in molecular electronics. This work demonstrates significant enhancement of mechano-electrical sensitivity in CnS SAMs by external compression, achieving a gauge factor (GF) of approximately 10 for C10S SAMs. This GF surpasses values reported for conjugated wires and DNA strands, highlighting the potential of CnS SAMs in mechanosensitive devices. Conductive atomic force microscopy (cAFM) investigations reveal a strong dependence of GF on the alkyl chain length in probe/CnS/Au junctions. This dependence arises from the combined influence of molecular tilting and probe penetration, facilitated by the low Young’s modulus of alkyl chains. Theoretical simulations corroborate these findings, demonstrating a shift in the electrode Fermi level toward the molecular resonance region with increasing chain length and compression. Introducing a rigid graphene interlayer prevents probe penetration, resulting in a GF that is largely independent of the alkyl chain length. This highlights the critical role of probe penetration in maximizing mechano-electrical sensitivity. These findings pave the way for incorporating CnS SAMs into mechanosensitive and mechanocontrollable molecular electronic devices, including touch-sensitive electronic skin and advanced sensor technologies. This work demonstrates the potential of tailoring mechanical and electrical properties of SAMs through molecular engineering and interface modifications for optimized performance in specific applications.