Journal
NATURE
Volume 555, Issue 7695, Pages 231-+Publisher
NATURE PORTFOLIO
DOI: 10.1038/nature25774
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Funding
- National Science Foundation [DMR1508144, EFRI-1433541, ACI-1053575]
- Office of Naval Research [N00014-15-1-2368]
- Resnick Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship at Caltech
- 973 grant of MOST [2013CBA01604]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [11534010]
- DOE [DE-SC0014607]
- DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and located at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC)
- Deanship of Scientific Research at King Saud University [PEJP-17-01]
- Direct For Mathematical & Physical Scien [1508144] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Artificial superlattices, based on van der Waals heterostructures of two-dimensional atomic crystals such as graphene or molybdenum disulfide, offer technological opportunities beyond the reach of existing materials(1-3). Typical strategies for creating such artificial superlattices rely on arduous layer-by-layer exfoliation and restacking, with limited yield and reproducibility(4-8). The bottom-up approach of using chemical-vapour deposition produces high-quality heterostructures(9-11) but becomes increasingly difficult for high-order superlattices. The intercalation of selected two-dimensional atomic crystals with alkali metal ions offers an alternative way to superlattice structures(12-14), but these usually have poor stability and seriously altered electronic properties. Here we report an electrochemical molecular intercalation approach to a new class of stable superlattices in which monolayer atomic crystals alternate with molecular layers. Using black phosphorus as a model system, we show that intercalation with cetyl-trimethylammonium bromide produces monolayer phosphorene molecular superlattices in which the interlayer distance is more than double that in black phosphorus, effectively isolating the phosphorene monolayers. Electrical transport studies of transistors fabricated from the monolayer phosphorene molecular superlattice show an on/off current ratio exceeding 107, along with excellent mobility and superior stability. We further show that several different two-dimensional atomic crystals, such as molybdenum disulfide and tungsten diselenide, can be intercalated with quaternary ammonium molecules of varying sizes and symmetries to produce a broad class of superlattices with tailored molecular structures, interlayer distances, phase compositions, electronic and optical properties. These studies define a versatile material platform for fundamental studies and potential technological applications.
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