Tunable Adsorption and Catalysis on Two Dimensional Ferroelectric Materials and Heterostructures

Two dimensional ferroelectric materials display a switchable spontaneous electric polarization in one or few monolayers. While they have been primarily proposed as components for ultrathin electronic devices, switching the polarization can change the surface properties, providing a route to overcoming the Sabatier principle on one material. We first show that the surface of the ferroelectric MXene Y₂CO₂ [1] with an O vacancy can preferentially adsorb CO₂ or CO depending on if the surface is poled up or poled down. We then extend that by investigating the reduction of CO₂ to CO, formic acid, and methane, and find that the stability of various intermediates as well as the final product can be also changed by switching the direction of the polarization. Second, we interface singe transition metal atom and dimer (Cu and Fe) doped graphene with ferroelectric In₂Se₃; by switching the In₂Se₃ layer, the adsorptive properties of the metal-doped graphene layer can also be altered, leading to selective adsorption and catalysis. This is a unique route to preferential adsorption and product selectivity in catalysis.<br/><br/>[1] M Li, O Omisakin, J Young, Nanoscale 14 6970 (2022)