The electrical properties of Au nanoparticles protected by thiol-functionalized olig (phenyleneethynylene)
(OPE), 1,4-bis-(3-mercapto phenylethynyl)benzene have been investigated by scanning
tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). The STM and scanning electron microscopy images of chemisorbed OPE-protected Au nanoparticles on Au(111) surface were
similar, and the densities were almost identical. OPE-protected Au nanoparticles exhibited stochastic
conductance switching behaviors, and current-voltage (I–V) and log I–V characteristics by STS at 100K showed Coulomb blockade behaviors. The charging energy of Au nanoparticles was as high as 0.57 eV when the core diameter was 2.1 nm. Our results are significant for single-electron transistor memory applications.