Ionization Energy and Energy Gap Structure of MoSI Molecular Wires: Kelvin Probe, Ultraviolet Photoelectron Spectroscopy, and Cyclic Voltammetry Measurements

The work function W of Mo(6)S(3)I(6) molecular nanowires is determined by Kelvin probe (KP) measurements, UV photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The values obtained by all three methods agree well, giving W = 4.8 ± 0.1 eV. CV measurements also give a gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of E(g) = 1.2 ± 0.1 eV, in agreement with recent optical measurements, but in disagreement with theoretical calculations, which predict the material to be a metal. The electronic structure of Mo(6)S(3)I(6) suggests use of the material in applications such as bulk heterostructure photovoltaics and transparent electrodes and for molecular electronics devices.