Ion-Assisted Nanoscale Material Engineering in Atomic Layers
Achieving deterministic control over the properties of low-dimensional materials with nanoscale precision is a long-sought goal. Mastering this capability has a transformative effect on the design of multifunctional electrical and optical devices. Here, we present an ion-assisted synthetic technique that enables precise control over the material composition and energy landscape of two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals. Our method transforms binary transition-metal dichalcogenides, like MoSe<sub>2</sub>, into ternary MoS<sub>2α</sub>Se<sub>2(1-α)</sub> alloys with systematically adjustable compositions, α. By piecewise assembly of the lateral, compositionally modulated MoS<sub>2α</sub>Se<sub>2(1-α)</sub> segments within 2D atomic layers, we present a synthetic pathway toward the realization of multicompositional designer materials. Our technique enables the fabrication of advanced 2D structures with arbitrary boundaries, dimensions as small as 30 nm, and fully customizable energy landscapes. Our optical characterizations further showcase the potential for implementing tailored optoelectronics in these engineered 2D crystals.
Authors
- Wenshan Cai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6367-3857)
- Hossein Taghinejad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4544-5746)
- Mark L. Brongersma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1777-8970)
- James G. Analytis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7657-7688)
- Pulickel Madhavapanicker Ajayan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8323-7860)
- Ali Adibi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2628-0584)
- Sajjad Abdollahramezani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5166-5991)
- Mohammad Taghinejad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1005-9631)
- Mengkun Tian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2790-7799)
- Xiang Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4004-5185)
- Eric Woods (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1169-893X)
- Qitong Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8048-9181)
- Yuanqi Lyu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7732-1094)
- Ali A. Eftekhar
Institutions
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- University of California System (US)
- Max-Planck-Institut für Nachhaltige Materialien (DE)
- Institute of Nanotechnology (GB)
- Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute (US)
- Rice University (US)
- University of California, Berkeley (US)
- Stanford University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2025-06-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c02040
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Semiconductor materials and devices
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.38
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Heising-Simons Foundation
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory