Growth of Few-Layer Molecular Crystals of PTCDI on Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Microspacing Air-Gap Sublimation

Nils le Coutre; Tolibjon Abdurakhmonov; Paul Weinbrenner; Kenji Watanabe; Takashi Taniguchi; Tobias Korn; Franziska Fennel; Oliver Kühn; Friedemann Reinhard

doi:10.1021/acsaom.4c00522

Journal article Growth of Few-Layer Molecular Crystals of PTCDI on Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Microspacing Air-Gap Sublimation

; ; ;

;

; ; ; ;

Download file (18.4 MB)
Download as zip (17.1 MB)

Collection

Citation

Nils le Coutre, Tolibjon Abdurakhmonov, Paul Weinbrenner, Kenji Watanabe, Takashi Taniguchi, Tobias Korn, Franziska Fennel, Oliver Kühn, Friedemann Reinhard. Growth of Few-Layer Molecular Crystals of PTCDI on Hexagonal Boron Nitride by Microspacing Air-Gap Sublimation. ACS Applied Optical Materials. 2025, 3 (2), 455-462. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaom.4c00522

(BibTeX)

Description:

(abstract)

Extended two-dimensional (2D) crystals of dye molecules adsorbed on 2D material substrates such as boron nitride have recently become a subject of intense study, with potential applications ranging from quantum technology to optoelectronics. The most established technique for the production of these films is physical vapor transport in a vacuum. We demonstrate that few-layer crystalline films of the organic dye molecule perylenetetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) on boron nitride can be produced by microspacing in-air sublimation, a radically simplified technique that does not require complicated vacuum systems. The resulting layers display clearly resolved atomic step terraces in atomic force microscopy and a clear polarization anisotropy in their fluorescence, confirming molecular alignment and long-range order. Using density functional theory and classical molecular dynamics simulations, the canted motif is identified as the most likely building block for the morphology of a PTDCI monolayer on the hBN substrate.

Rights: