Two-dimensional iodine-monofluoride epitaxy on WSe2
Open Access
- 10 February 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in npj 2D Materials and Applications
- Vol. 5 (1), 1-6
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s41699-021-00201-8
Abstract
Interhalogen compounds (IHCs) are extremely reactive molecules used for halogenation, catalyst, selective etchant, and surface modification. Most of the IHCs are unstable at room temperature especially for the iodine-monofluoride (IF) whose structure is still unknown. Here we demonstrate an unambiguous observation of two-dimensional (2D) IF bilayer grown on the surface of WSe2 by using scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. The bilayer IF shows a clear hexagonal lattice and robust epitaxial relationship with the WSe2 substrate. Despite the IF is known to sublimate at −14 °C and has never found as a solid form in the ambient condition, but surprisingly it is found stabilized on a suitable substrate and the stabilized structure is supported by a density functional theory. This 2D form of IHC is actually a byproduct during a chemical vapor deposition growth of WSe2 in the presence of alkali metal halides as a growth promoter and requires immediate surface passivation to sustain. This work points out a great possibility to produce 2D structures that are unexpected to be crystallized or cannot be obtained by a simple exfoliation but can be grown only on a certain substrate.Keywords
Funding Information
- MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (18K14119, A3 Foresight Program, JP16H06333)
- Kazato Research Encouragement Prize
- Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (107-2119-M-007-011-MY2, 106-2628-M-007-003-MY3)
- National Research Foundation of Korea (2019R1A2C2005098, 2019R1A6A3A01091287, 2017M3D1A1040688)
- MEXT | JST | Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (JPMJCR20B1, JMJCR20B5, JPMJCR1993)
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