Mol-2D · Molecule-induced control over 2D Materials

We propose to create heterostructures based on functional molecules and 2D materials. As molecular systems we focus on bistable magnetic molecules able to switch between two spin states upon the application of an external stimulus (temperature, light, pressure, electric field etc.). As 2D materials we concentrate on those exhibiting in particular superconductivity or magnetism. The driving idea is to tune/improve the properties of the “all surface” 2D material via an active control of the hybrid interface. This concept, which goes much beyond the conventional chemical functionalization of a 2D material, will provide an entire new class of smart molecular/2D heterostructures, which may be at the origin of a novel generation of hybrid materials and devices of direct application in highly topical fields like electronics, spintronics, molecular sensing and energy storage. Through this molecular approach, we will address major challenges in different areas of the 2D research: i) in 2D physics, we investigate the new properties that should appear in heterostructures involving 2D superconductors and 2D magnets or magnetic molecules; ii) in 2D electronics, we explore the possibility of tuning the superconducting/magnetic properties of a 2D material by applying an external stimulus (light for example), or to design smart electronic/spintronic devices able to respond to physical (light, magnetic field, etc.) or chemical stimuli (trapping of molecules); iii) in 2D composite materials, a general goal is to design hybrid molecular/2D materials with improved properties with respect to the pure 2D material to be used in the fabrication of energy storage devices. To reach these challenging goals an integrative and multidisciplinary approach is proposed in which various facets of chemistry – coordination, solid-state and supramolecular chemistry – are coupled with physics, materials science and nanotechnology.