Monolayers like vinylene 2D-polymers are significant because they offer a unique combination of material properties and can be used in various advanced applications, from electronics to photonics.
Filippo and colleagues have achieved a significant breakthrough in materials science by successfully creating a single-layered nanomaterial called VL-2D-SCOF-1. He accomplished this through a new process called on-surface polymerization. Notably, this synthesis can take place at room temperature under mild conditions, eliminating the need for high temperatures or external catalytic agents. This increases the stability and pureness of the monolayer and can be applied for temperature sensitive molecules.
Fig. 1: Synthesis of VL-2D-SCOF-1: C3 (yellow) and C2 (blue) monomers 1 and 2 are covalently assembled into a honeycomb lattice via dynamic Knoevenagel polycondensation, leading to formation of vinylene C═C connections.
Fig. 2: Hexagonal pattern of the monolayer
JACS 33, 18205 (2023).