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We compare the junction formation probabilities of single-molecule junctions with different linker molecules by using a scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique. We found that the junction formation probability varies as SH > SMe > NH 2 for the benzene backbone molecule with different types of anchoring groups, through quantitative statistical analysis. These results are attributed to different bonding forces according to the linker groups formed with Au atoms in the electrodes, which is consistent with previous works. Our work allows a better understanding of the contact chemistry in the metal-molecule junction for future molecular electronic devices.

It has been suggested that BiMnO3 is a material exhibiting both ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity. Stoichiometry is rather easily achieved in a polycrystalline sample, and ferromagnetic properties have been well documented for bulk samples. Stoichiometry in thin films has been difficult to obtain, and many physical properties have exhibit wide distributions mainly due to the stoichiometry problem. Thin film studies on BiMnO3 have not shown clear evidence of ferroelectricity, while other physical properties measured for the BiMnO3 films showed wide spectra, which has been attributed to cation and/or oxygen vacancies. We fabricated BiMnO3 thin films with good stoichiometry and with ferromagnetic properties comparable to those reported for stoichiometric BiMnO3: Tc ~ 105 K and Msat ~ 3.6 μB/Mn. The charge-electric field (Q-E) curve measured at 5 K was fairly linear and free from hysteresis and showed no ferroelectric order. This finding is consistent with the centrosymmetric crystal structure recently suggested by theoretical calculations and structural studies on ceramic samples of stoichiometric BiMnO3.

We present a simple drop-casting method for preparing multiferroic nano-composite film where BiFeO 3 (BFO) nanoparticles (NPs) were evenly dispersed into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) polymer. BFO NPs used in this work were synthesized by the conventional sol-gel method, having diameter of tens of nm and being in good crystallinity. The BFO NPs were loaded into a highly insulating PVA polymer solution as filler. The multiferroic properties of the film reveal ferromagnetic ordering due to the uncompensated spiral ordering and saturated ferroelectric curves due to the cut-off of current leakage. Moreover, the prepared films show high flexibility and their multiferroicities are preserved well even in a high curved condition, reflecting the possibility for fabricating wearable devices based on multiferroic materials. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

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