Fabrication and characterization of oriented carbon atom wires assembled on gold

Carbon atom wires (CAWs) are of the sp-hybridized allotrope of carbon. To augment the extraordinary features based on sp-hybridization, we developed an approach to make CAWs be self-assembled and orderly organized on Au substrate. The self-assembling process was investigated in situ by using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The properties of the assembled film were characterized by voltammetry, Raman spectroscopy, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS), and the contact angle measurements. Experimental results indicated that the assembled CAW film was of the good structural integrity and well organized, with the sp-hybridized features enhanced.