Buckyballs can pave the way for molecular electronics

Organic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) have been around for over forty years. The most widely used form is based on thiols, bound to a metal surface. However, exposure of these monolayers to air will lead to breakdown within a single day. Scientists have now created SAMs using buckyballs functionalized with 'tails' of ethylene glycol. These have all the properties of thiol SAMs but remain chemically unchanged for several weeks when exposed to air.