Implementation of fully functional devices based on the concept of Molecular electronics depends strongly on our ability to characterize, control and exploit properties of single molecules.

Dielectric and metallic nanostructures can be tailored to provide unusual interaction with light waves. For example, they support localized resonances highly sensitive to the surroundings, complex scattering patterns and ultrafast nonlinearities.

The state of matter in fluid phases, determined by the interactions between particles, can be characterized by a pair correlation function (PCF).

The ultimate goal of molecular electronics is to create technologies that will complement—and eventually supersede - Si-based microelectronics technologies. To reach this goal, the field of single-molecule electronics is aiming at recognizing and characterizing single-molecule devices that mimic at least some of the behaviors of today's semiconductor components.

In this talk, an overview of surface-science investigations on the chemical reactivity of epitaxial graphene (Gr) and materials “beyond graphene” (van der Waals semiconductors, topological insulators, Dirac semimetals, Weyl semimetals) will be provided.