Magnetic and Luminescent Lanthanoid (Ln=Tb, Dy) 2D MOFs on functionalized Silicon

Abstract

The controlled deposition of organized molecular materials on technologically relevant substrates is crucial for the development of innovative magneto-optical devices. In this work, we report the growth of lanthanoid-based 2D metalorganic frameworks (MOFs) with formula unit [Ln(MeCOO)(PhCOO)2] (Ln = Dy, Tb) on Si(100) wafers functionalized by silanization. The thickness, morphology and composition of the grown material was assessed using a combination of ellipsometry, contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The on-surface grown terbium 2D MOFs exhibit green luminescence, like the bulk. Furthermore, chemisorbed Dy and Tb 2D MOFs retain a significant magnetic moment, as demonstrated by X-ray Magnetic Circular Dichroism (XMCD) measurements conducted at the M4,5 edge of the two lanthanoids. Our work paves the way for the preparation of magnetooptical devices and organized arrays of single-molecule magnets (SMMs) and qubits on surfaces for high-density information storage and quantum computing applications.