Emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as graphene and atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides, have been the subject of intense research efforts for their fascinating properties and potential applications in future electronic and optical devices. The interfaces in these 2D materials, including domain boundaries and edges, strongly govern the electronic and magnetic behavior and can potentially host new quantum states. On the other hand, these interfaces are more susceptible to thermal fluctuation and external stimuli that drive mass displacement and generate disorder. In this talk we will present our scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and spectroscopy (STS) explorations of edges of few layered molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) nanostructures with unique structural and electronic properties and show how step edges on titanium diselenide (TiSe₂) surfaces change dynamically due to electrical fields. We will also discuss temperature evolution of quasi-1D C₆₀ nanostructures on graphene. Through careful control of the subtle balance between the C₆₀ surface mobility and the linear periodic potential of rippled graphene, C₆₀ molecules can be arranged into a novel 1D C₆₀ chain structure, and this chain structure can further transition to a compact hexagonal close packed stripe structure by tuning the annealing temperature.

Thanks to submolecular resolution STM data and DFT calculations we were able to accurately determine the stacking relationship between the overlying layer and the underlying layer at an atomic scale. In such a well-defined layered model structure, we scrutinize the electronic structures of multilayered TCNQ and TTF-TCNQ using STS. Double-periodic charge ordering and Coulomb gap features are observed in the bilayer TTF-TCNQ. The effect of substrate variation (Ag, Au, and HOPG) on multilayer growth and electronic properties are discussed. The STS data from the multiple combinations of adsorbates and substrates allow us to assign states reliably and understand of transition of the surface, molecular, and charge transfer states clearly in the multilayer systems.

This research was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

Ni-Cr based superalloys are excellent candidates for use in highly corrosive environments due to their exceptional oxidation and corrosion resistance. Our work focuses on unraveling the initial reaction steps of alloy oxidation as a function of composition, moving from the clean Ni-surface to a Ni-base alloy with 33wt% Cr. In the study presented here, we used STM/STS to investigate the initial stages of oxidation reaction in Ni-Cr (0-35wt.% Cr) alloys and the impact of Mo (2-10 wt.%) on the reaction. We developed spectroscopy maps which yield highly coveted information on the spatial distribution of oxide nuclei and the transition from chemisorbed oxygen to oxide. The STS maps capture the evolution of oxide during various stages of oxidation and provides valuable insight into the reaction as a function of composition of alloy.

Cr is the main alloying addition in Ni-based superalloys and the minimum amount of Cr necessary to form a continuous, passive oxide layer is 6-13 wt.% based on empirical observations. The passivating quality of an oxide layer strongly depends on the initial nucleation of the oxide, the oxide growth during continued oxidation, and eventual coalescence to form a complete oxide layer. However, the effect of Cr content on the initial nucleation and growth behavior of the oxide is not well understood. Similarly, the underlying mechanisms at the atomic scale and the role of electronic structure changes due to Mo addition are not well understood.

[1] J. Yang et al. Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys, 73, 10702, 2016

[2] M. Kolmer et al. Appl. Surf. Sci., vol. 288, p. 83, 2014

[3] T. L. Yap et al. Surf. Sci., vol. 632, p. L13, 2015

Chirality is ubiquitous in our world (human body, pharmaceutics, liquid crystals…). Nevertheless, the principles of intermolecular recognition are still poorly understood. Therefore, it is not possible to predict the outcome of crystallization, which is still the most important method to separate chiral molecules into their enantiomers, or to explain why a minority of chiral compounds crystallize into conglomerate. A promising approach towards a better understanding of chiral interactions is the study of self-assembly of chiral molecules on single crystal surfaces with STM (sub-molecular resolution).

We studied the 2D self-assembly of racemic-pentahelicene ([5]H, C₂₂H₁₄) on Cu(111) with STM. Adsorption of [5]H leads, already at very low coverages to formation of homochiral pairs, i.e. both molecules have the same handedness.

At coverages close to the saturated monolayer, two distinct long-range ordered structures have been observed. Both structures have the homochiral pairs as building blocks. However, while one structure consists of a conglomerate of homochiral domains, the second structure is racemic, i.e. composed of homochiral pairs with opposite handedness. At monolayer coverage, only the racemic structure prevails. Above monolayer coverage, the dense racemate phase in the monolayer disappears on the expense of a homochiral conglomerate phase with lower density due to 2nd-layer-nucleation. Our results indicate that a long-range chiral communication between 2nd layer islands and other areas on the surface are at work.

These findings are also compared with those obtained for heptahelicene (C₃₀H₁₈) on Cu(111). A surface-mediated selection mechanism, taking different intermolecular interactions into account, will be presented.

Both chirality and molecular assembly are essential and key components to life. In this study we explore the molecular assembly of the amino acid tryptophan (both L- and D- chiralities) on Cu(111). Our investigation utilizes low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy to observe resulting assemblies at the molecular scale. We find that depositing a racemic mixture of both L- and D- tryptophan results in the assembly of basic 6 molecule “Lego” structures that are enantiopure. These enantiopure “Legos” further assemble into 1-dimensional chains one block at a time. These resulting chains are also enantiopure with chiral selectivity occurring at two stages of assembly. Utilizing scanning tunneling spectroscopy we are able to probe the electronic structure of the chiral Legos that give insight into the root of the observed selectivity.

Advances in graphene research ignited interest in other type of two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals, such as hexagonal boron nitride and layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). Among these new types of 2D materials, the applications of TMDCs in logic electronics and optoelectronics are promising because of their sizable bandgaps and natural stability. The techniques which enable heterostructure formation with different TMDCs systems have provided further solution to the design of high performance electronic devices such as those for photovoltaics and optoelectronics. The existing heterostructures fabrication methods, based on mechanical exfoliation and/or wet chemical transferring rely on traditional fabrication methods such as photo-and e-beam lithography.

To realize the selective growth and layered assembly of heterostructures at predefined location, here, we report on application of mask free, scanning probe based direct writing method. With the use of AFM cantilevers and developed water based “inks”, we demonstrate arrays of MoS₂ and WS₂ dots and ribbon arrays at predefined locations on variety of substrates. Employing this SPM based patterning method we have also fabricated MoS₂/WS₂ heterostructures of sub-micrometer scales in a controlled fashion. The quality of MoS₂/WS₂ heterostructures was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy, AFM characterization and electrical transport measurements. Our mask free nanolithography approach offers an alternative route for patterning and growth of TMDCs with added benefit of potential reduced contamination of the TMDCs surfaces and interfaces between materials and substrates. It demonstrates a promising unconventional technology for fabrication of high quality TMDCs heterostructures in convenient manner capable of nanoscale precision.

Acknowledgements

Use of the Center for Nanoscale Materials was supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. DE-AC02 06CH11357. I.K. acknowledges support of NSF MRI program (Award No. 1338021), and the Saint Louis University seed funds.