Single Electron Tunneling Through Nano-Sized Cobalt Particles

Self-assembly of nanoparticles is important for many fields of nanotechnology. However, experimental studies such as spin-dependent electron tunneling have been limited by the rapid degradation of the electronic and magnetic properties of nano-objects due to their immediate oxidation in air. Here are presented for the first time scanning tunneling microscopy images at room temperature, under air, of highly oxidizable Co nanocrystals on a dodecanethiol monolayer grafted onto a gold surface. Local organization and electronic properties of the particles are described.