Advanced Science (Feb 2020)

Universal Oriented van der Waals Epitaxy of 1D Cyanide Chains on Hexagonal 2D Crystals

  • Yangjin Lee,
  • Jahyun Koo,
  • Sol Lee,
  • Jun‐Yeong Yoon,
  • Kangwon Kim,
  • Myeongjin Jang,
  • Jeongsu Jang,
  • Jeongheon Choe,
  • Bao‐Wen Li,
  • Chinh Tam Le,
  • Farman Ullah,
  • Yong Soo Kim,
  • Jun Yeon Hwang,
  • Won Chul Lee,
  • Rodney S. Ruoff,
  • Hyeonsik Cheong,
  • Jinwoo Cheon,
  • Hoonkyung Lee,
  • Kwanpyo Kim

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201900757
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 7, no. 4
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract The atomic or molecular assembly on 2D materials through the relatively weak van der Waals interaction is quite different from the conventional heteroepitaxy and may result in unique growth behaviors. Here, it is shown that straight 1D cyanide chains display universal epitaxy on hexagonal 2D materials. A universal oriented assembly of cyanide crystals (AgCN, AuCN, and Cu0.5Au0.5CN) is observed, where the chains are aligned along the three zigzag lattice directions of various 2D hexagonal crystals (graphene, h‐BN, WS2, MoS2, WSe2, MoSe2, and MoTe2). The potential energy landscape of the hexagonal lattice induces this preferred alignment of 1D chains along the zigzag lattice directions, regardless of the lattice parameter and surface elements as demonstrated by first‐principles calculations and parameterized surface potential calculations. Furthermore, the oriented microwires can serve as crystal orientation markers, and stacking‐angle‐controlled vertical 2D heterostructures are successfully fabricated by using them as markers. The oriented van der Waals epitaxy can be generalized to any hexagonal 2D crystals and will serve as a unique growth process to form crystals with orientations along the zigzag directions by epitaxy.

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