Anotace
Combining 2D organic or metal-organic molecular frameworks and van der Waals surfaces can provide a new class of 2D van der Waals heterostructures with interesting tunable material properties. However, the bottom-up synthesis of covalent organic frameworks on chemically inert van der Waals surfaces is challenging mainly due to the low chemical activity of the surfaces and significant activation barriers required to form covalent bonds. This precludes the formation of high-quality organic frameworks on a large scale.
Recent progress in ultra-high vacuum on-surface synthesis has demonstrated the capability to synthesize novel molecular compounds on metal surfaces, which are not accessible with traditional organic chemistry approaches in solution. One of the crucial factors in the success of the on-surface approach is the catalytical role of single adatoms, which favorably modifies the potential energy landscape of the essential reaction processes.
This project will explore novel synthetic routes to form 2D organic/inorganic van der Waals heterostructures with atomic precision, combining single-layer (metal-)organic frameworks and van der Waals surfaces. We follow two complementary strategies: i) on-surface synthesis driven by single metal adatoms on van der Waals surfaces and ii) single-atom metalation of supramolecular self-assemblies. The chemical and electronic structures will be investigated using the atomically resolved scanning probe technique and complementary experimental techniques supported by advanced theoretical calculations.