Researchers Exchange Samples to Benchmark the Quality of Synthetic Monolayer layered materials

The H20 project, a Partnering Project of the Graphene Flagship, coordinated at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany, and funded by the FLAG-ERA Eranet aims to expand the layered material library by introducing new organic semiconductors (OSC) down to a few monolayers in thickness, which are mechanically stable and transferable on any other layered materials for making heterostructures. This can bring new developments in electronics, photonics and optoelectronics. Antony George, PhD researcher at this university, explained to SCOPE that "as the project develops, we anticipate that the results will be applicable in the areas of biomedical technologies, sensing and small scale energy devices."

To boost these ambitious objectives and strengthen the scientific collaboration in this area, Mar García-Hernández, principal investigator at Graphene Flagship partner Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM, Spain), invited the H20 project to the Enabling Materials work package's progress meeting organized last September at the University of the Bundeswehr, Germany. Thanks to SCOPE's financial support, Antony George attended this meeting.

At the meeting, an agreement was reached to exchange samples to benchmark the quality of monolayer MoS₂, grown by CVD or MOCVD. Various labs have their own procedures for synthesizing TMDs monolayers. The quality of the crystals may vary with different approaches. The groups have agreed to exchange samples for comparative studies, an essential step to developing better growth procedures for good quality materials.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are layered materials with application potential in the area of electronics, optoelectronics, sensing and energy technology.

A monolayer of TMD is a thin sheet of three atomic layers in which a layer of transition metal atoms (e.g., molybdenum, tungsten ) is sandwiched between two layers of chalcogen atoms (e.g., sulfur, selenium).

As Antony George explained, "We fabricate heterostructures of TMDs and organic semiconductors to use them as electronic and optoelectronic devices." Large area reproducible growth of high quality TMDs is important for large scale device applications. H20 prepares the organic semiconductors by stabilizing the top layer of a thin film of organic semiconductors by electron beam irradiation. These can be integrated with layered materials to combine and exploit the advantages of both material systems.

"Association with the Graphene Flagship will help us in solving the main task of this project, which is to utilize the knowledge and materials developed on layered materials to reveal the potential of Organic Solar Cells (OSC) based on layered materials heterostructures. Our project will benefit from this collaborative effort, since we could directly integrate large films of layered materials with a more stable and thinner version of the OSC available in the market. This partnership will also help in the implementation of our project and will add value both for basic studies and practical applications," Antony George highlighted.

Over 70 grants for networking activities of the Graphene Flagship and for the mobility of research personnel

Since its inception, SCOPE has awarded thirteen grants to young and senior researchers involved in Graphene Flagship Partnering Projects and Associated Members. SCOPE currently has over 70 grants with an approximate budget of €82,000 for expenses linked to travelling to conferences, workshops or meetings organized by the Graphene Flagship, as well as for laboratory visits and research personnel mobility.

Support for the communication of research results

SCOPE also aims to increase the visibility of the successes achieved by the Graphene Flagship Partnering Projects and Associated Members and the economic and social benefits of their work.

To accomplish this, FECYT has the participation of SINC, its scientific news agency, which deals with the communication of the results of the leading research of 65 projects and institutions associated with the GF. So far, FECYT has written 12 news articles and interviews that have been published in the communication channels of the Graphene Flagship (website, social networks, newsletters and corporate reports).

The SCOPE project also disseminates the collaborative activity that is underway between the researchers of the Graphene Flagship and the Partnering Projects and Associated Members through news published on the Graphene Flagship website.