Liquid metals: an ideal platform for the synthesis of two-dimensional materials

Patjaree Aukarasereenon

Patjaree Aukarasereenont, CSIRO

The surfaces of liquid metals can serve as a platform to synthesise two-dimensional materials. By exploiting the self-limiting Cabrera-Mott oxidation reaction that takes place at the surface of liquid metals exposed to ambient air, an ultrathin oxide layer can be synthesised and isolated.

Several synthesis approaches based on this phenomenon have been developed in recent years, resulting in a diverse family of functional 2D materials that covers a significant fraction of the periodic table. These straightforward and inherently scalable techniques may enable the fabrication of novel devices and thus harbour significant application potential.

This review provides a brief introduction to liquid metals and their alloys, followed by detailed guidance on each developed synthesis technique, post-growth processing methods, integration processes, as well as potential applications of the developed materials.

About the presenter

Patjaree Aukarasereenont is currently an Early Career Postdoctoral Fellow at CSIRO. Prior to her appointment at CSIRO, she was working at RMIT University with Dr Torben Daeneke on a translation project focusing on low-dimensional aluminium oxides-based reinforced epoxy and silicone polymers for LED encapsulation application.

She recently completed her PhD project on the fabrication of devices based on 2D materials, within FLEET’s Enabling Technology Theme B, Research Theme 2 and Enabling Technology Theme A.