The behavior of single-layer van der Waals (vdW) materials is significantly influenced by their surface environment, including adsorbates from ambient conditions. This study reveals that common ambient contamination on graphene, graphite, hBN, and MoS₂ consists of a self-organized molecular layer of normal alkanes (20–26 carbon atoms) forming within days of ambient exposure. Low-temperature STM imaging and infrared spectroscopy were used to identify the structure and composition of this adlayer, which displaces other airborne contaminants, potentially dominating the material's interaction with the environment.
Publisher
Nature Communications
Published On
Nov 09, 2022
Authors
András Pálinkás, György Kálvin, Péter Vancsó, Konrád Kandrai, Márton Szendrő, Gergely Németh, Miklós Németh, Áron Pekker, József S. Pap, Péter Petrik, Katalin Kamarás, Levente Tapasztó, Péter Nemes-Incze
Tags
van der Waals materials
graphene
ambient contamination
self-organized molecular layer
alkanes
STM imaging
infrared spectroscopy
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