Electron tunneling

{
  "id": "MLC-T-CHM-003741",
  "term": "Electron tunneling",
  "field": "Chemistry",
  "definition": "A quantum mechanical phenomenon where an electron passes through a potential energy barrier that it classically cannot surmount. In polymers, this occurs when electrons move between conductive filler particles or polymer chains separated by a thin insulating gap. The probability of tunneling decreases exponentially with the width of the barrier, making it highly sensitive to inter-particle distances.",
  "synonyms": [
    "electron quantum tunneling"
  ],
  "subject": "Polymer",
  "see_also": [
    "quantum tunneling polymer composite"
  ],
  "references": [
    "PAC, 2022, 94, 15. 'Glossary of terms relating to electronic, photonic and magnetic properties of polymers (IUPAC Recommendations 2021)' on page 28 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2020-0501)"
  ],
  "url": "https://mlchart.com/terminology/chemistry/electron-tunneling/"
}