Molecular Scaffold Growth of Two-Dimensional, Strong Interlayer-Bonding-Layered Materials

Currently, most two-dimensional (2D) materials that are of interest to emergent applications have focused on van der Waals–layered materials (VLMs) because of the ease with which the layers can be separated (e.g., graphene). Strong interlayer-bonding-layered materials (SLMs) in general have not been thoroughly explored, and one of the most critical present issues is the huge challenge of their preparation, although their physicochemical property transformation should be richer than VLMs and deserves greater attention. MAX phases are a classical kind of SLM. However, limited to the strong interlayer bonding, their corresponding 2D counterparts have never been obtained, nor has there been investigation of their fundamental properties in the 2D limitation. Here, the authors develop a controllable bottom-up synthesis strategy for obtaining 2D SLMs single crystal through the design of a molecular scaffold with Mo 2GaC, which is a typical kind of MAX phase, as an example. The superconducting transitions of Mo 2GaC at the 2D limit are clearly inherited from the bulk, which is consistent with Berezinskii–Kosterlitz–Thouless behavior. The authors believe that their molecular scaffold strategy will allow the fabrication of other high-quality 2D SLMs single crystals, which will further expand the family of 2D materials and promote their future application.