Method and apparatus for synthesizing two-dimensional materials

Abstract

A method of synthesising a layer of two-dimensional material or a stack of layers of two-dimensional material comprises providing a liquid precursor composition on a flat surface of a liquid metal 332, the liquid metal being a metal or metal alloy having a melting point of less than or equal to 2500C at a pressure of 1 atmosphere, and performing a chemical reaction to form the at least one layer of two-dimensional material on the surface of the liquid metal from the liquid precursor composition. Preferably, a moveable barrier 352 is used to form and compress a thin layer of the liquid precursor composition. The reaction may comprise an electrochemical process that includes passing a current 370, 372 through the precursor composition. Electrodeposition from an aprotic solvent may be performed. The layer may comprise borophene, silicene, phosphorene, germanene, arsenene, antimonene, bismuthene, selenene, sulphurene, boron nitride, boron phosphide, silicon-germanium, a metal, graphane, graphene, graphene oxide or reduced graphene oxide. [Figure 1]