Lateral epitaxial growth of two-dimensional heterostructure linked by gold adatoms

Lateral two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures have great potential for device engineering at the atomistic scale. Their production is hindered by difficulties in obtaining atomically sharp interface free from intermixture. Here we report the continuous construction of a lateral heterostructure using blue phosphorene and tetrafluoro-tetracyanoquinodimethane (F₄TCNQ) as the building blocks. The lateral heterostructure is achieved by linking the semiconducting F₄TCNQ-Au metal organic framework and the metallic blue phosphorene-Au network via Au adatoms. The structural and electronic properties of the heterostructure have been investigated by means of scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy (STM/S), complemented by density functional theory (DFT) calculations, demonstrating a structurally and electrically abrupt interface. Our approach offers the possibility of high flexibility and control that can be extended to other metal-organic species and 2D materials, establishing a foundation for the development of atomically thin in-plane superlattice and devices.