Enhancing the Carrier Transport in Monolayer MoS2 through Interlayer Coupling with 2D Covalent Organic Frameworks

The coupling of different 2D materials (2DMs) to form van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) is a powerful strategy for adjusting the electronic properties of 2D semiconductors, for applications in opto-electronics and quantum computing. 2D molybdenum disulfide (MoS2 ) represents an archetypical semiconducting, monolayer thick versatile platform for the generation of hybrid vdWH with tunable charge transport characteristics through its interfacing with molecules and assemblies thereof. However, the physisorption of (macro)molecules on 2D MoS2 yields hybrids possessing a limited thermal stability, thereby jeopardizing their technological applications. Herein, the rational design and optimized synthesis of 2D covalent organic frameworks (2D-COFs) for the generation of MoS2 /2D-COF vdWHs exhibiting strong interlayer coupling effects are reported. The high crystallinity of the 2D-COF films makes it possible to engineer an ultrastable periodic doping effect on MoS2 , boosting devices' field-effect mobility at room temperature. Such a performance increase can be attributed to the synergistic effect of the efficient interfacial electron transfer process and the pronounced suppression of MoS2 's lattice vibration. This proof-of-concept work validates an unprecedented approach for the efficient modulation of the electronic properties of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides toward high-performance (opto)electronics for CMOS digital circuits.

Chemical Conversion and Locking of the Imine Linkage: Enhancing the Functionality of Covalent Organic Frameworks

Imine-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a widely studied class of functional, crystalline, and porous nanostructures which combine a relatively facile crystallization with tuneable compositions and porosities. However, the imine linkage constitutes an intrinsic limitation due to its reduced stability in harsh chemical conditions and its unsuitability for in-plane π-conjugation in COFs. Urgent solutions are therefore required in order to exploit the full potential of these materials, thereby enabling their technological application in electronics, sensing, and energy storage devices. In this context, the advent of a new generation of linkages derived from the chemical conversion and locking of the imine bond represents a cornerstone for the synthesis of new COFs. A marked increase in the framework robustness is in fact often combined with the incorporation of novel functionalities including, for some of these reactions, an extension of the in-plane π-conjugation. This Minireview describes the most enlightening examples of one-pot reactions and post-synthetic modifications towards the chemical locking of the imine bond in COFs.