Assembly of 2D ionic layers by reaction of alkali halides with the organic electrophile 7,7,8,8-tetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQ)

Abstract

Sublimation of alkali halides (NaCl and LiCl) onto a pre-assembled hydrogen-bonded layer of TCNQ on Au(111) resulted in the formation of 2D ionic layers via a direct charge-transfer reaction without involvement of the substrate. The presented approach allows for the fabrication of different ionic layers, decoupled from the substrate and offering new, potentially interesting properties