IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-35972-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Direct observation of cation diffusion driven surface reconstruction at van der Waals gaps

Author

Listed:
  • Wenjun Cui

    (Wuhan University of Technology
    Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Weixiao Lin

    (Wuhan University of Technology
    Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Weichao Lu

    (Wuhan University of Technology
    Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Chengshan Liu

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Zhixiao Gao

    (China University of Petroleum (East China))

  • Hao Ma

    (China University of Petroleum (East China))

  • Wen Zhao

    (China University of Petroleum (East China))

  • Gustaaf Tendeloo

    (Wuhan University of Technology
    University of Antwerp)

  • Wenyu Zhao

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Qingjie Zhang

    (Wuhan University of Technology)

  • Xiahan Sang

    (Wuhan University of Technology
    Wuhan University of Technology)

Abstract

Weak interlayer van der Waals (vdW) bonding has significant impact on the surface/interface structure, electronic properties, and transport properties of vdW layered materials. Unraveling the complex atomistic dynamics and structural evolution at vdW surfaces is therefore critical for the design and synthesis of the next-generation vdW layered materials. Here, we show that Ge/Bi cation diffusion along the vdW gap in layered GeBi2Te4 (GBT) can be directly observed using in situ heating scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The cation concentration variation during diffusion was correlated with the local Te6 octahedron distortion based on a quantitative analysis of the atomic column intensity and position in time-elapsed STEM images. The in-plane cation diffusion leads to out-of-plane surface etching through complex structural evolutions involving the formation and propagation of a non-centrosymmetric GeTe2 triple layer surface reconstruction on fresh vdW surfaces, and GBT subsurface reconstruction from a septuple layer to a quintuple layer. Our results provide atomistic insight into the cation diffusion and surface reconstruction in vdW layered materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenjun Cui & Weixiao Lin & Weichao Lu & Chengshan Liu & Zhixiao Gao & Hao Ma & Wen Zhao & Gustaaf Tendeloo & Wenyu Zhao & Qingjie Zhang & Xiahan Sang, 2023. "Direct observation of cation diffusion driven surface reconstruction at van der Waals gaps," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-35972-9
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35972-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-35972-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-35972-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gábor Zsolt Magda & Xiaozhan Jin & Imre Hagymási & Péter Vancsó & Zoltán Osváth & Péter Nemes-Incze & Chanyong Hwang & László P. Biró & Levente Tapasztó, 2014. "Room-temperature magnetic order on zigzag edges of narrow graphene nanoribbons," Nature, Nature, vol. 514(7524), pages 608-611, October.
    2. K. S. Novoselov & A. K. Geim & S. V. Morozov & D. Jiang & M. I. Katsnelson & I. V. Grigorieva & S. V. Dubonos & A. A. Firsov, 2005. "Two-dimensional gas of massless Dirac fermions in graphene," Nature, Nature, vol. 438(7065), pages 197-200, November.
    3. Hai Xu & Shuanglong Liu & Zijing Ding & Sherman J. R. Tan & Kah Meng Yam & Yang Bao & Chang Tai Nai & Man-Fai Ng & Jiong Lu & Chun Zhang & Kian Ping Loh, 2016. "Oscillating edge states in one-dimensional MoS2 nanowires," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Janne Kalikka & Xilin Zhou & Eric Dilcher & Simon Wall & Ju Li & Robert E. Simpson, 2016. "Strain-engineered diffusive atomic switching in two-dimensional crystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-8, September.
    5. Chao Zhu & Suxia Liang & Erhong Song & Yuanjun Zhou & Wen Wang & Feng Shan & Yantao Shi & Ce Hao & Kuibo Yin & Tong Zhang & Jianjun Liu & Haimei Zheng & Litao Sun, 2018. "In-situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy investigation on oriented attachment of gold nanoparticles," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    6. Xiahan Sang & Yu Xie & Dundar E. Yilmaz & Roghayyeh Lotfi & Mohamed Alhabeb & Alireza Ostadhossein & Babak Anasori & Weiwei Sun & Xufan Li & Kai Xiao & Paul R. C. Kent & Adri C. T. van Duin & Yury Gog, 2018. "In situ atomistic insight into the growth mechanisms of single layer 2D transition metal carbides," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Kwanpyo Kim & Sinisa Coh & C Kisielowski & M. F. Crommie & Steven G. Louie & Marvin L. Cohen & A. Zettl, 2013. "Atomically perfect torn graphene edges and their reversible reconstruction," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-6, December.
    8. A. K. Geim & I. V. Grigorieva, 2013. "Van der Waals heterostructures," Nature, Nature, vol. 499(7459), pages 419-425, July.
    9. Lianfeng Zou & Jonathan Li & Dmitri Zakharov & Eric A. Stach & Guangwen Zhou, 2017. "In situ atomic-scale imaging of the metal/oxide interfacial transformation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-8, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Meiling Chen & Wenhao Liu & Pengcheng Ding & Fengwu Guo & Zhuo Li & Yanghan Chen & Wei Yi & Ye Sun & Jianchen Lu & Lev Kantorovich & Miao Yu, 2025. "Semiconductor-to-metal surface reconstruction in copper selenide/copper heterostructures steered by photoinduced interlayer atom migration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-8, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Singh, Deobrat & Khossossi, Nabil & Lizárraga, Raquel & Sonvane, Yogesh, 2024. "Theoretical prediction of a high-performance two-dimensional type-II MoSi2N4/As vdW heterostructure for photovoltaic solar cells," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(PC).
    2. Pandey, Mayank & Deshmukh, Kalim & Raman, Akhila & Asok, Aparna & Appukuttan, Saritha & Suman, G.R., 2024. "Prospects of MXene and graphene for energy storage and conversion," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    3. Anh-Luan Phan & Dai-Nam Le, 2021. "Electronic transport in two-dimensional strained Dirac materials under multi-step Fermi velocity barrier: transfer matrix method for supersymmetric systems," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 94(8), pages 1-16, August.
    4. Benjamin Carey & Nils Kolja Wessling & Paul Steeger & Robert Schmidt & Steffen Michaelis de Vasconcellos & Rudolf Bratschitsch & Ashish Arora, 2024. "Giant Faraday rotation in atomically thin semiconductors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    5. Di Molfetta, Giuseppe & Brachet, Marc & Debbasch, Fabrice, 2014. "Quantum walks in artificial electric and gravitational fields," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 397(C), pages 157-168.
    6. Zhixin Yao & Huifeng Tian & U. Sasaki & Huacong Sun & Jingyi Hu & Guodong Xue & Ye Seul Jung & Ruijie Li & Zhenjiang Li & PeiChi Liao & Yihan Wang & Lina Yang Zhang & Ge Yin & Xuanyu Zhang & Yijie Luo, 2025. "Transferrable, wet-chemistry-derived high-k amorphous metal oxide dielectrics for two-dimensional electronic devices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    7. Wenqian Yu & Shengnan Yue & Minghe Yang & Masahiro Hashimoto & Panpan Liu & Li Zhu & Wangjing Xie & Travis Jones & Marc Willinger & Xing Huang, 2025. "Operando TEM study of a working copper catalyst during ethylene oxidation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Bum Chul Park & Min Jun Ko & Young Kwang Kim & Gyu Won Kim & Myeong Soo Kim & Thomas Myeongseok Koo & Hong En Fu & Young Keun Kim, 2022. "Surface-ligand-induced crystallographic disorder–order transition in oriented attachment for the tuneable assembly of mesocrystals," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    9. Eli Gerber & Steven B. Torrisi & Sara Shabani & Eric Seewald & Jordan Pack & Jennifer E. Hoffman & Cory R. Dean & Abhay N. Pasupathy & Eun-Ah Kim, 2023. "High-throughput ab initio design of atomic interfaces using InterMatch," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    10. Yu Ji & Guang-Ping Hao & Yong-Tao Tan & Wenqi Xiong & Yu Liu & Wenzhe Zhou & Dai-Ming Tang & Renzhi Ma & Shengjun Yuan & Takayoshi Sasaki & Marcelo Lozada-Hidalgo & Andre K. Geim & Pengzhan Sun, 2024. "High proton conductivity through angstrom-porous titania," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    11. Bohayra Mortazavi & Timon Rabczuk, 2018. "Boron Monochalcogenides; Stable and Strong Two-Dimensional Wide Band-Gap Semiconductors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-10, June.
    12. Yeonghun Lee & Yaoqiao Hu & Xiuyao Lang & Dongwook Kim & Kejun Li & Yuan Ping & Kai-Mei C. Fu & Kyeongjae Cho, 2022. "Spin-defect qubits in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides operating at telecom wavelengths," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Dasari, Bhagya Lakshmi & Nouri, Jamshid M. & Brabazon, Dermot & Naher, Sumsun, 2017. "Graphene and derivatives – Synthesis techniques, properties and their energy applications," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 140(P1), pages 766-778.
    14. Xinrui Yang & Lu Han & Hongkai Ning & Shaoqing Xu & Bo Hao & Yi-Chi Li & Taotao Li & Yuan Gao & Shengjun Yan & Yueying Li & Chenyi Gu & Weisheng Li & Zhengbin Gu & Yingzhuo Lun & Yi Shi & Jian Zhou & , 2024. "Ultralow-pressure-driven polarization switching in ferroelectric membranes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    15. M. T. Greenaway & P. Kumaravadivel & J. Wengraf & L. A. Ponomarenko & A. I. Berdyugin & J. Li & J. H. Edgar & R. Krishna Kumar & A. K. Geim & L. Eaves, 2021. "Graphene’s non-equilibrium fermions reveal Doppler-shifted magnetophonon resonances accompanied by Mach supersonic and Landau velocity effects," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-6, December.
    16. Maria Karaulova & Abdullah Gök & Oliver Shackleton & Philip Shapira, 2016. "Science system path-dependencies and their influences: nanotechnology research in Russia," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 107(2), pages 645-670, May.
    17. Zheyu Cheng & Yi-Jun Guan & Haoran Xue & Yong Ge & Ding Jia & Yang Long & Shou-Qi Yuan & Hong-Xiang Sun & Yidong Chong & Baile Zhang, 2024. "Three-dimensional flat Landau levels in an inhomogeneous acoustic crystal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    18. Yuxiang Gao & Fenglin Deng & Ri He & Zhicheng Zhong, 2025. "Spontaneous curvature in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Nikhil Mathur & Arunabh Mukherjee & Xingyu Gao & Jialun Luo & Brendan A. McCullian & Tongcang Li & A. Nick Vamivakas & Gregory D. Fuchs, 2022. "Excited-state spin-resonance spectroscopy of V $${}_{{{{{{{{\rm{B}}}}}}}}}^{-}$$ B − defect centers in hexagonal boron nitride," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-7, December.
    20. Ying Zhou & Hongqian Mu & Tongbiao Wang & Tianbao Yu & Qinghua Liao, 2022. "Tunable broadband superradiance near a graphene/hyperbolic metamaterial/graphene sandwich structure," The European Physical Journal B: Condensed Matter and Complex Systems, Springer;EDP Sciences, vol. 95(11), pages 1-10, November.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-35972-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.