On-water surface synthesis of electronically coupled 2D polyimide-MoS₂ van der Waals heterostructure

The water surface provides a highly effective platform for the synthesis of two-dimensional polymers (2DP). In this study, we present an efficient on-water surface synthesis of crystalline monolayer 2D polyimide (2DPI) through the imidization reaction between tetra (4-aminophenyl) porphyrin (M1) and perylenetracarboxylic dianhydride (M2), resulting in excellent stability and coverage over a large area (tens of cm²). We further fabricate innovative organic-inorganic hybrid van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) by combining with exfoliated few-layer molybdenum sulfide (MoS₂). High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) reveals face-to-face stacking between MoS₂ and 2DPI within the vdWH. This stacking configuration facilitates remarkable charge transfer and noticeable n-type doping effects from monolayer 2DPI to MoS₂, as corroborated by Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence measurements, and field-effect transistor (FET) characterizations. Notably, the 2DPI-MoS₂ vdWH exhibits an impressive electron mobility of 50 cm²/V·s, signifying a substantial improvement over pristine MoS₂ (8 cm²/V·s). This study unveils the immense potential of integrating 2D polymers to enhance semiconductor device functionality through tailored vdWHs, thereby opening up exciting new avenues for exploring unique interfacial physical phenomena.