Wafer-Scale Synthesis of Monolayer 2D Polymers for Ultrathin Membranes and Heterostructures

2D polymers are made by cross-linking molecules into a 2D network which can be viewed as organic analogs of 2D atomic crystals. They are not only a new library of 2D building blocks for making vdW heterostructures but also offer unlimited structural tunability on the molecular level. In this talk, I will introduce a synthetic approach to synthesizing monolayer 2D polymers on a large scale. This approach incorporates key features necessary for scalable and facile processing, including large-area synthesis, ambient growth conditions, and compatibility with established patterning and integration methods. The 2D polymer films can serve as the thinnest semipermeable membranes, which deliver a record high osmotic power generation density. Furthermore, I will show the programmed assembly of hybrid organic-inorganic 2D heterostructures with monolayer precision. This approach allows for integrating versatile molecular building blocks into layered nanomaterials to develop ultrathin electronic devices.<br/>Ref. <i>Science </i><b>2019,</b> <i>366</i>, 1379-1384