Periodic Reporting for period 3 - VANDER (Search for New Phenomena, Materials and Applications Using Van Der Waals Assembly of Individual Atomic Planes)
Período documentado: 2022-05-01 hasta 2023-10-31
Many layered materials can be disassembled into isolated atomic planes, like graphite that can be split into monolayers called graphene. Such individual atomic planes – two-dimensional (2D) crystals – can then be stacked on top of each other in a desired sequence to make new bulk (3D) materials that do not exist in nature. Such designer materials are called van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures. This possibility has been discovered only several years ago, which has ignited a whole new field that is currently booming and delivering exciting and unexpected science. This ERC project has been aimed at further investigation of vdW heterostructures, making them more sophisticated, more controlled and more functional. Our main objective is to discover new phenomena, new physics and new advanced functional materials, and to explore the myriads of opportunities that remain to be opened up within the huge research field of 2D materials and vdW heterostructures.
Our progress has so far been spectacular, by any standards and beyond our most optimistic expectations.
First, we have discovered that many 2D materials can be highly transparent for protons but remain impermeable for all gases and liquids (Nature Nano 2019, Nature Communications 2019a). All clean-energy technologies based on hydrogen are built around membranes that require such selective properties. We found that 2D crystals, especially monolayers of mica, offer superior performance with respect to the existing materials. This direction is important for future technologies involving hydrogen.
Second, we have placed an ultimate limit on gas permeability of 2D crystals. Despite being only one atom thick, monolayers of graphene or boron nitride are found to be so highly impermeable that it would take the lifetime of the Universe for a gas atom to pierce them under ambient conditions (Nature 2020a).
Third, water condensation inside small pores is responsible for many common phenomena including friction, adhesion, lubrication and corrosion. Under typical ambient humidity of 30-50%, pores must be of the true atomic scale to cause water condensation. Previously, no test could be carried out to investigate water condensation under realistic humidity conditions. We have created 2D empty spaces from one to a few atoms in height and studied capillary condensation inside them (Nature 2020b).
Fourth, we have reported several new electron transport phenomena in graphene-based vdW heterostructures (Nature 2020c, Nature 2021, Nature Electronics 2019, Nature Comm 2019b, 2020a-b, 2021).
First, we have discovered that many 2D materials can be highly transparent for protons but remain impermeable for all gases and liquids (Nature Nano 2019, Nature Communications 2019a). All clean-energy technologies based on hydrogen are built around membranes that require such selective properties. We found that 2D crystals, especially monolayers of mica, offer superior performance with respect to the existing materials. This direction is important for future technologies involving hydrogen.
Second, we have placed an ultimate limit on gas permeability of 2D crystals. Despite being only one atom thick, monolayers of graphene or boron nitride are found to be so highly impermeable that it would take the lifetime of the Universe for a gas atom to pierce them under ambient conditions (Nature 2020a).
Third, water condensation inside small pores is responsible for many common phenomena including friction, adhesion, lubrication and corrosion. Under typical ambient humidity of 30-50%, pores must be of the true atomic scale to cause water condensation. Previously, no test could be carried out to investigate water condensation under realistic humidity conditions. We have created 2D empty spaces from one to a few atoms in height and studied capillary condensation inside them (Nature 2020b).
Fourth, we have reported several new electron transport phenomena in graphene-based vdW heterostructures (Nature 2020c, Nature 2021, Nature Electronics 2019, Nature Comm 2019b, 2020a-b, 2021).
Practically all our results published over the last 30 months have been beyond the state of the art for the research field of 2D materials and vdW heterostructures and, in fact, established a new state of the art. We expect our progress to continue until the end of the project and, hopefully, at the same fast pace.