Boron-induced transformation of ultrathin Au films into two-dimensional metallic nanostructures

Preobrajenski, Alexei; Vinogradov, Nikolay; Duncan, David A.; Lee, Tien-Lin; Tsitsvero, Mikhail; Taketsugu, Tetsuya; Lyalin, Andrey

Abstract

The synthesis of large, freestanding, single-atom-thick two-dimensional (2D) metallic materials remains challenging due to the isotropic nature of metallic bonding. Here, we present a bottom-up approach for fabricating macroscopically large, nearly freestanding 2D gold (Au) monolayers, consisting of nanostructured patches. By forming Au monolayers on an Ir(111) substrate and embedding boron (B) atoms at the Au/Ir interface, we achieve suspended monoatomic Au sheets with hexagonal structures and triangular nanoscale patterns. Alternative patterns of periodic nanodots are observed in Au bilayers on the B/Ir(111) substrate. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, X-ray spectroscopies, and theoretical calculations, we reveal the role of buried B species in forming the nanostructured Au layers. Changes in the Au monolayer’s band structure upon substrate decoupling indicate a transition from 3D to 2D metal bonding. The resulting Au films exhibit remarkable thermal stability, making them practical for studying the catalytic activity of 2D gold.

Citation

Preobrajenski, A., Vinogradov, N., Duncan, D. A., Lee, T.-L., Tsitsvero, M., Taketsugu, T., & Lyalin, A. (2024). Boron-induced transformation of ultrathin Au films into two-dimensional metallic nanostructures. Nature Communications, 15(1), Article 10518. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54464-y

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 12, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Dec 10, 2024
• Publication Date: Dec 10, 2024
• Deposit Date: Dec 16, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 17, 2024
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-1723
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 15
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 10518
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54464-y
• Keywords: Electronic structure; Scanning probe microscopy; Surface spectroscopy; Synthesis and processing; Two-dimensional materials
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/42840520
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54464-y
• Additional Information: Received: 22 July 2024; Accepted: 12 November 2024; First Online: 10 December 2024; : The authors declare no competing interests.