Rectification direction inversion in a phosphododecamolybdic acid/single-walled carbon nanotube junction

Abstract

We report the inversion of current rectification direction in a phosphododecamolybdic acid (PMo₁₂)/single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) nanoscale junction resulted from a change in the particle size or chirality of the SWNTs. Results of Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) studies demonstrated that the charge distribution of PMo₁₂/SWNT in semiconducting SWNTs was opposite to that of metallic SWNTs, owing to differences in the efficiency of charging from the SWNTs to PMo₁₂. The mechanism of the inversion of rectification direction involves combination of the usual p–n junction and current–voltage (I–V) drift induced by the dipole moment at the PMo₁₂/SWNT interface.