title: Self-assembly of electronically abrupt borophene/organic lateral heterostructures.
abstract: Two-dimensional boron sheets (that is, borophene) have recently been realized experimentally and found to have promising electronic properties. Because electronic devices and systems require the integration of multiple materials with well-defined interfaces, it is of high interest to identify chemical methods for forming atomically abrupt heterostructures between borophene and electronically distinct materials. Toward this end, we demonstrate the self-assembly of lateral heterostructures between borophene and perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (PTCDA). These lateral heterostructures spontaneously form upon deposition of PTCDA onto submonolayer borophene on Ag(111) substrates as a result of the higher adsorption enthalpy of PTCDA on Ag(111) and lateral hydrogen bonding among PTCDA molecules, as demonstrated by molecular dynamics simulations. In situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the weak chemical interaction between borophene and PTCDA, while molecular-resolution ultrahigh-vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy reveal an electronically abrupt interface at the borophene/PTCDA lateral heterostructure interface. As the first demonstration of a borophene-based heterostructure, this work will inform emerging efforts to integrate borophene into nanoelectronic applications.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Xiaolong
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6186-5257
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Zonghui
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5991-1894
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Itamar
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9358-5743
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Balla
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4788-1506
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mannix
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanoscale Materials, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Guisinger
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Engineering Sciences and Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2364-1866
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Luijten
authors.affiliation: Applied Physics Graduate Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.; Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
authors.forename: Mark C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hersam
keywords: Boron; Molecular Dynamics; PTCDA; Scanning tunneling microscopy; Two-dimensional; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; borophene; heterostructure; organic; self-assembly