Publication detail

Direct Observation of Structural Phase Transformations during Phosphorene Formation on Cu(111)

DAVID, J. JEŘÁBEK, F. PROCHÁZKA, P. ČERNÝ, M. CIOBANU, C. PRŮŠA, S. KODAMBAKA, S. ŠIKOLA, T. KOLÍBAL, M.

Original Title

Direct Observation of Structural Phase Transformations during Phosphorene Formation on Cu(111)

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Blue phosphorene, a two-dimensional, hexagonal-structured, semiconducting phosphorus, has gained attention as it is considered easier to synthesize on metal surfaces than its allotrope, black phosphorene. Recent studies report different structures of phosphorene, for example, on Cu(111), but the underlying mechanisms of their formation are not known. Here, using a combination of in situ ultrahigh vacuum low-energy electron microscopy and in vacuo scanning tunneling microscopy, we determine the time evolution of the surface structure and morphology during the deposition of phosphorus on single-crystalline Cu(111). We find that during the early stages of deposition phosphorus intermixes with Cu, resulting in copper phosphide structures. With the increasing surface concentration of phosphorus, the phosphide phase disappears, and a blue phosphorene layer forms, followed by the self-assembly of highly ordered phosphorus clusters that eventually grow into multilayer islands. We attribute the unexpected transformation of stable phosphide to a phosphorene layer to the presence of a large concentration of P2 dimers on the surface. Our results constitute direct evidence for a growth mode leading to a flat phosphorene layer via an intermediary phase, which could underpin the growth of other 2D materials on strongly interacting substrates.

Keywords

2D materials; phosphorene; copper phosphide; phase transformation; growthmode

Authors

DAVID, J.; JEŘÁBEK, F.; PROCHÁZKA, P.; ČERNÝ, M.; CIOBANU, C.; PRŮŠA, S.; KODAMBAKA, S.; ŠIKOLA, T.; KOLÍBAL, M.

Released

22. 1. 2025

Publisher

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Location

WASHINGTON

ISBN

1936-086X

Periodical

ACS Nano (e-ISSN)

Year of study

19

Number

4

State

United States of America

Pages from

4289

Pages to

4298

Pages count

10

URL

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.4c11802

BibTex

@article{BUT196782,
  author="DAVID, J. and JEŘÁBEK, F. and PROCHÁZKA, P. and ČERNÝ, M. and CIOBANU, C. and PRŮŠA, S. and KODAMBAKA, S. and ŠIKOLA, T. and KOLÍBAL, M.",
  title="Direct Observation of Structural Phase Transformations during Phosphorene Formation on Cu(111)",
  journal="ACS Nano (e-ISSN)",
  year="2025",
  volume="19",
  number="4",
  pages="4289--4298",
  doi="10.1021/acsnano.4c11802",
  issn="1936-086X",
  url="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.4c11802"
}