First Nanoparticles of a Conductor Based on the Organic Donor Molecule BETS: κ-(BETS)(2)FeCl(4)

Nanoparticles of the molecular superconductor (BETS)(2)FeCl(4) were obtained by the electrochemical oxidation of BETS in the presence of [(C(2)H(5))(4)N]FeCl(4) and an amphiphilic imine (OATM), acting as a growth controlling agent. When the reaction was carried out with a molar ratio OATM/BETS of 10, roughly spherical nanoparticles exhibiting sizes in the 10–40 nm range were observed. X-ray diffraction patterns evidenced the growth of (BETS)(2)FeCl(4) nanoparticles with the κ-type structure. The current-voltage characteristic recorded on an individual nanoparticle aggregate was fitted with a Shockley diode model. A saturation current of 1216 pA and a threshold voltage of 0.62 V were extracted from this model. This latter value was consistent with roughly half of the energy gap of the semiconducting nano-crystalline aggregate.