Energy gap modulation in V2O5 nanowires by gas adsorption

Abstract

The current-voltage characteristics at various pressures (2–10 atm) and the scanning tunneling microscopy of vanadium pentoxide nanowires (VONs) with the inert gases (He, Ne, and Ar) and diatomic molecules (H2, N2, O2) have been investigated. The gas dependent conductance (G) is consistent with the inverse energy gap obtained from the scanning tunneling spectroscopy study for the gas-adsorbed single VON. The three possible interactions for gas adsorption of the VON have been discussed. Among them, we have found that the induced dipole-dipole interaction between adsorbed gases plays an important role in conductance variation in the gas adsorbed VON using the conductance per molecule (G/N).