Conducting Flexible Single Crystalline Silver Nanocluster Chain

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Jeebanjyoti Mohapatra - , National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute (Author)
  • Sankalpa N. Panda - , National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute (Author)
  • Subhashis Ghosh - , Homi Bhabha National Institute, National Institute of Science Education and Research (Author)
  • Md Habib Ahsan - , Homi Bhabha National Institute, National Institute of Science Education and Research (Author)
  • Anupam Prasoon - , Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed), Chair of Molecular Functional Materials (cfaed), Max Planck Institute of Micostructure Physics (Author)
  • Sahadeb Mahata - , Homi Bhabha National Institute, National Institute of Science Education and Research (Author)
  • Ashis K. Nandy - , Homi Bhabha National Institute, National Institute of Science Education and Research (Author)
  • Satyaprasad P. Senanayak - , Homi Bhabha National Institute, National Institute of Science Education and Research (Author)
  • Bishnu P. Biswal - , National Institute of Science Education and Research, Homi Bhabha National Institute (Author)

Abstract

Atomically precise silver nanoclusters (AgNCs) represent an emerging class of functional materials for constructing periodically extended architectures with tunable properties. In particular, the 1D architecture of AgNCs is highly attractive owing to their ability to provide confined pathways for charge transport. In contrast to conventional soft-interaction-driven AgNC assemblies, directional coordination or covalent bonding provides a more effective route to structurally robust, electronically conducting 1D AgNC architectures. Herein, we have explored the synthesis and detailed electronic property study of a 1D periodic Ag6 nanocluster chain (Ag6NCC), formed through partially covalent Ag-S intercluster bridging. Interestingly, Ag6NCC exhibits remarkable mechanical elasticity—a property rarely exhibited by discrete single-crystalline AgNCs. Electrical measurements reveal that Ag6NCC exhibits ideal ohmic transport and a markedly high size-dependent conductivity (1–3 S/cm), enabled by a continuous sulfur-bridged 1D charge-transport pathway. Low-operating-voltage transistor devices with Ag6NCC exhibit gate-tunable semiconducting behavior with a saturation-regime field-effect mobility (µFET) of 2.6 cm2/Vs. This work highlights the potential of a mechanically resilient 1D AgNC chain with high charge-carrier mobility for next-generation nanoelectronics.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere76097
JournalSmall
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Oct 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 42829845

Keywords

Keywords

  • conducting crystals, field-effect transistor, flexible crystals, silver nanocluster chain