(105i) Fabrication of Size- and Shape-Controlled 2D Materials and Their Assembly at an Air-Water Interface

A collection of anisotropic particles at a fluid-fluid interface represents an intriguing system where the anisotropy (i.e., shape, composition, etc.) of the particles can lead to directional interactions, and the broken symmetry of the fluid-fluid interface can lead to additional interactions. Two-dimensional (2D) materials represent a class of technologically relevant, highly anisotropic particles (with respect to their length scales) as monolayer 2D materials can have thicknesses <1 nm and lateral sizes >1 μm. There is growing literature surrounding the scalable assembly and deposition of these materials from fluid-fluid interfaces for uses in next-generation, thin-film devices. As functional film properties manifest from the assembled film morphology, it is desirable to understand the significant forces between 2D materials at fluid-fluid interfaces that drive particle self-assembly. However, a uniform system of 2D particles is necessary before one can begin to model their interactions. In this work, we have used lithographic methods to fabricate size- and shape-controlled, monolayer 2D materials to use as model particles at an air-water interface. We will present the process for creating these particles and transferring them from growth substrate to an air-water interface. We will also discuss results regarding the influence of 2D particle shape on self-assembly and interfacial morphology.