Journal Article
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 118, iss. 4, 2021
Authors
Nassar Doudin, Greg Collinge, Pradeep Kumar Gurunathan, Mal-Soon Lee, Vassiliki-Alexandra Glezakou, Roger Rousseau, Zdenek Dohnálek
Abstract
Significance
The design and synthesis of hierarchically ordered oxides remains a critical challenge in material science and catalysis. Here, we demonstrate that well-ordered homotopic arrays of mono-oxo (MoO
3
)
1
can be easily prepared on anatase TiO
2
(101) via the deposition of (MoO
3
)
n
oligomers. As revealed by our combined experiential and theoretical studies, the oligomers spontaneously decompose and self-assemble into chemically identical and thermally stable monomers. The oligomer decomposition is permitted at room temperature due to the dynamic coupling of decomposition steps to the lattice phonons of TiO
2
. We identify transient mobility of the oligomers as key to the self-assembly of the complete overlayer. The ease of preparation and thermal stability of this atomically precise system makes it highly suitable for a broad range of applications.
