Advancing the synthesis of two-dimensional gold monolayers

Researchers have created nearly free-standing nanostructured two-dimensional (2D) gold monolayers, an impressive feat of nanomaterials engineering that could open new avenues for catalysis, electronics and energy conversion.

Gold is an inert metal that typically forms solid three-dimensional (3D) structures. However, in its two-dimensional form, it can unlock extraordinary properties such as unique electronic behavior, enhanced surface reactivity, and huge potential for revolutionary applications in catalysis and advanced electronics.

One of the challenges in synthesizing 2D gold monolayers is stabilizing isotropic metallic bonds in a strictly two-dimensional form. To solve this problem, a research team from Lund University and Hokkaido University used a novel bottom-up approach combined with high-performance computing to create nanostructures with unique patterns, excellent thermal stability and potential catalysis. Utility macro large gold monolayer.

The team grew a single layer of gold on an iridium substrate and embedded boron atoms at the interface between gold and iridium. This innovative technology produces suspended single-atom gold sheets with hexagonal structures and nanoscale triangular patterns. Incorporating boron enhances the stability and structural integrity of the gold layer, resulting in nanostructures.

“The ease of preparation and thermal stability of the resulting gold film are important, making it a practical platform to further study the fundamental properties of elemental 2D metals and their potential for diverse applications in electronics and nanotechnology,” said the company’s Alexei Dr. Preobrajenski explains.

Advanced characterization techniques including scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and X-ray spectroscopy were used to study the structural and electronic properties of the gold film. Analysis confirmed that embedded boron facilitates the transition from 3D to primarily 2D metallic bonding, fundamentally changing the electronic behavior of the gold layer. This transformation emphasizes the unique properties of synthetic films, as traditional methods often fail to maintain stable two-dimensional metallic forms and instead result in smaller or unstable structures.

The ability to create stable and nearly self-contained metal monolayers over large areas has far-reaching consequences. “This study opens the way to test the theory and further explore the potential applications of two-dimensional metals in various fields such as catalysis and energy conversion,” said Andrey Lyalin, associate professor at Hokkaido University’s College of Science and another corresponding author of the paper.

By solving the challenge of stabilizing 2D metallic materials, this research helps deepen our understanding of 2D materials and lays the foundation for potential technological applications.