Electrical conductivity of single molecular junctions assembled from Co- and Co3C-encapsulating carbon nanocapsules.

Single molecular junctions (SMJs) were assembled from cobalt (Co)- and Co carbide (Co3C)-encapsulating carbon nanocapsules (CNCs) and two gold electrodes inside a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with a specimen-piezomanipulation system. The structure and electrical transport properties of the SMJs were investigated in situ. The current density depended on the perimeter of the contact area between CNCs and the electrodes, showing that the current flowed not through the encapsulated region but rather along the graphene layers of CNCs. It was demonstrated that the properties of graphene can be applied to nanodevices using CNCs irrespective of the encapsulating materials.