Monolayer Thickness Research Articles

Amorphous Carbon Monolayer: A Novel and Effective Interlayer for Metal/Oxide Interface

We investigate the effect of one-atom thick Amorphous Carbon Monolayer (ACM) as an interfacial layer (IL) for high-k/Ge MOS structure, with the aim of suppressing the dangling bonds on the Ge surface and reducing the interfacial defects between high-k oxide and Ge layers. The frequency-dependent C-V characteristics indicated that the ACM layer eliminates the weak inversion response resulting in a steeper C-V slope and an increase in accumulation capacitance. The G-V analysis further confirmed the lower density of interface traps in the ACM layered device. The Dit values were extracted as 1.2×10¹¹ cm⁻²eV⁻¹ for Al2O3/ACM/Ge structure, which is almost two orders of magnitude lower than that of the Al2O3/Ge structure without the ACM layer. The observed improvements are attributed to the effective blocking role of the ACM interlayer against the in-diffusion of oxygen and out-diffusion of Ge and the suppression of dangling bonds at the Ge surface. Our findings suggest that the Al2O3/ACM/Ge structure exhibits superior electrical quality with lower hysteresis and interface charge trapped density, which has important implications for the development of high-performance ultra-small-scale devices based on Ge substrates.

A Revolutionary Approach to Study the Hydrogen Electrode Formation on Different Noble Metals Exposed to Monolayer to Sub-Monolayers Range of Water Using Scanning Kelvin Probe

The inadequacy of modern surface analytical tools to probe the electrochemical double layer (EDL) which governs the catalytic reactions at the interface hampers its in-depth investigation. The reason for this is that the EDL is usually buried under the bulk electrolyte. Though great progress was made in computational modeling the EDL [1,2], at the experimental level similar progress is necessary. One approach is to study the EDL of electrodes covered by electrolyte of nano-scale thickness. Till date, such studies of electrodes covered by electrolyte in the monolayer to sub-monolayer range are scarce, although they were at the center of the birth of electrochemical surface science [3]. Recently the “hydrogen electrode in the dry” concept which was established on palladium surface under dry nitrogen conditions could be a novel approach to understand that facet of the electrode interface activities [4]. The amount of water in this case is confined to just 1-2 monolayers to adsorbed water or even below. Similarly, this approach was successful applied for studying the current-potential relationships for oxygen reduction reaction exposed to different amounts of water ranging from micro meter to monolayers of thickness [5]. In this study, this concept was explored to other noble metal systems such as Pd, Au, Pt, and Ir to understand the hydrogen electrode formation.The present study focuses on hydrogen electrode formation on palladium, iridium, gold, and platinum exposed to inert conditions carried out by scanning Kelvin probe method (see fig) at different hydrogen activities. The activities of hydrogen on the surface was defined by electrochemically (entry side from a=0 to a=0.2) cathodic hydrogen charging method. Firstly, the hydrogen activity of 0.2 was defined on the palladium side by increasing the cathodic potential stepwise by potentiostatic hydrogen charging and measuring the corresponding potential on the exit side by Kelvin probe. This potential on palladium in both wet (>95% rh) and dry (<0.1% rh) conditions follows a 1:1 correlation with the applied entry potential, in accordance with the Nernst equation. Iridium samples show 1:1 in humid conditions, but not in dry conditions, i.e. in presence of a much thinner layer of adsorbed water molecules. At intermediate partial pressures of water, a linear response with slope lower than 1 was observed, that increased with increasing humidity. Whereas, gold samples show no correlation in both wet and dry conditions. Additionally, hydrogen electrode formation on emersed surface was checked to understand the effect of an already existing EDL on the formation of the hydrogen electrode. Also, ellipsometry spectroscopy measurements were carried out to determine the water layer thickness at different partial pressures of water. Overall, the current experimental approach of measuring the potential of these different “dry” electrodes gives more insights about hydrogen electrode formation on noble metals at different hydrogen activities, effect of adsorbed anions, and the effect of different amounts of adsorbed water.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-assisted synthesis of ultrathin multi-nanolayered Cu2Nb34O87−x for advanced Li+ storage

The ultrathin multi-nanolayered structure with ultrathin monolayer thickness (<10 nm) and certain interlayer spacing can significantly shorten Li+ paths and alleviate the volume effect for Li+-storage materials. However, unlike layered materials such as MXene and MoS2, shear ReO3-type niobates have difficulty forming ultrathin multi-nanolayered structures due to their crystal structures, which still remains a challenge. Herein, by a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted solvothermal method, we first synthesize ultrathin multi-nanolayered Cu2Nb34O87−x with oxygen vacancies composed of ultrathin nanolayers (2–10 nm in thickness) and interlayer spacing (1–5 nm). Oxygen vacancies can radically enhance the inherent electronic/ionic conductivity and Li+ diffusion coefficient of this material. The PVP-induced formation mechanism of this material is expounded in detail. The well-preserved ultrathin multi-nanolayered structure and excellent multi-electron electrochemical reversibility (Nb5+ ↔ Nb4+ ↔N b3+ and Cu2+ ↔ Cu+) of this material during cycling are fully verified. Based on an ultrathin multi-nanolayered structure and oxygen vacancies, this material as the anode of lithium-ion batteries is highly competitive among reported shear ReO3-type Cu-Nb-O anodes, displaying a high reversible capacity (315.3 mAh g−1 after 300 cycles at 1 C), durable cycling stability (85.7 % capacity retention after 1000 cycles at 10 C), and outstanding rate performance. Moreover, the application of this material to lithium-ion capacitors generates a large energy density (97.9 Wh kg−1 at 87.5 W kg−1) and a high power density (17,500 W kg−1 at 12.6 Wh kg−1), thus further indicating its fast faradaic pseudocapacitive behavior for practical applications. The results of this work indicate a breakthrough in synthesizing ultrathin multi-nanolayered shear ReO3-type niobates.

Simulations for the cesium dynamics of the RF-driven prototype ion source for CRAFT N-NBI

To realize an initial objective of the negative ion-based neutral beam injection (N-NBI) at the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) test facility, which targets an H0 beam power of 2 MW at an energy of 200–400 keV and a pulse duration of 100 s, it is crucial to study the cesium dynamics of the negative ion source. Here a numerical simulation program CSFC3D is developed and applied to simulate the distribution and time dynamics of cesium during short pulses. The calculations show that most of the cesium on the plasma grid (PG) area originates from the release of cesium that is accumulated within the ion source in the plasma phase. Increasing the wall temperature reduces the loss of cesium on the wall of the ion source. Furthermore, the thickness of the cesium monolayer is directly influenced by the PG temperature. Both simulated and experimental results demonstrate that maintaining the PG temperature between 180 °C and 200 °C is essential for enhancing the performance of the ion source and optimizing the cesium behavior.

Regular Arrays of Rod-Shaped Molecular Photoswitches: Synthesis, Preparation, Characterization, and Selective Photoswitching within Mono- and Bilayer Systems.

We assembled photoresponsive mono- and bilayer systems with well-defined properties from rod-shaped molecules equipped with different photoswitches. Using properly chosen chromophores (diarylethene-based switch and unidirectional light-driven molecular motor), we then selectively targeted layers made of the same types of photoswitches using appropriate monochromatic light. UV-vis analysis confirmed smooth and unrestricted photoisomerization. To achieve this, we synthesized a new class of triptycene-based molecular pedestals adept at forming sturdy Langmuir-Blodgett films on a water-air interface. The films were smoothly transferred to gold and quartz surfaces. Repeated deposition afforded bilayer systems: one layer containing diarylethene-based photoswitches and the other a unidirectional light-driven molecular motor. Structural analysis of both mono- and bilayer systems revealed the molecules to be tilted with carboxylic functions pointing to the surface. At least two different polymorphs differing in monolayer thickness and tilt angle (~40° and ~60°) were identified on the gold surface.

Enhancing second harmonic generation of monolayer WS2 with edge plasmon

Transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) monolayers possess large second-order nonlinear susceptibility and have shown great potentials in on-chip nonlinear optical devices. However, the thickness of TMD monolayers is less than 1[Formula: see text]nm, resulting in a rather low second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency. In this paper, we propose a physical scheme of enhancing SHG of TMD monolayers with edge plasmon. As a proof of concept demonstration, we constructed a hexagonal gold nanoplates/monolayer WS2 heterostructure with high interface quality. By performing SHG measurements, we show that SHG was enhanced by a factor of about 60. Our results set a foundation for on-chip nonlinear optical applications with TMD monolayers.

Sub-nano Layers of Li, Be, and Al on the Si(100) Surface: Electronic Structure and Silicide Formation

Within the framework of the density functional theory and the pseudopotential method, the electronic structure calculations of the “metal-Si(100)” systems with Li, Be and Al as metal coverings of one to four monolayers (ML) thickness, were carried out. Calculations showed that band gaps of 1.02 eV, 0.98 eV, and 0.5 eV, respectively, appear in the densities of electronic states when the thickness of Li, Be and Al coverings is one ML. These gaps disappear with increasing thickness of the metal layers: first in the Li-Si system (for two ML), then in the Al-Si system (for three ML), and then in the Be-Si system (for four ML). This behavior of the band gap can be explained by the passivation of the substrate surface states and the peculiarities of the electronic structure of the adsorbed metals. In common the results can be interpreted as describing the possibility of the formation of a two-dimensional silicide with semiconducting properties in Li-Si(100), Be-Si(100), and Al-Si(100) systems.

Deposition of oxidation-resistant coatings by vacuum-pulse-arc melting of NiAl-based granules to protect Ni superalloys

Here we report an innovative contactless method for vacuum-pulse-arc melting of single Ni41Al41Cr12Co6Hf0.25 (at.%) granules with a size of 160 ± 20 μm using a non-consumable electrode. A dense, uniform, and oxidation-resistant coating 100 μm thick, formed by a monolayer of molten granules, was obtained on the surface of a Ni-based superalloy fabricated by laser powder bed fusion. A distinctive feature of the proposed technology is the use of high-voltage breakdown to initiate a subsequent relatively low-voltage arc discharge with adjustable duration and energy. The utilization of granules of a certain size and precise control of the discharge energy makes it possible to control the monolayer thickness and the degree of substrate melting. A mechanism is proposed for melting a single granule located on the substrate surface. The resulting coating has a submicron structure consisting of NiAl and Ni3Al intermetallic compounds. The high resistance of the coating to oxidation at 1000 °C is evidenced by the formation of an oxide scale 500 nm thick, consisting of two sublayers: an upper layer about 200 nm thick with relatively large α-Al2O3 grains up to 150 nm in size and a lower layer consisting of a mixture of α-Al2O3 and θ-Al2O3 grains smaller than 40 nm.

Controllable synthesis of monolayer WSe2 crystals by Copper-Assisted chemical vapor deposition

In this work, we demonstrate the controllable synthesis of high-quality WSe2 monolayers via a copper-assisted chemical vapor deposition method. The structure characterizations confirm that the as-grown WSe2 crystals by introducing Cu powder exhibit monolayer thickness and high crystalline quality. Most importantly, theoretical calculation reveals that Cu atoms could easily occupy the active sites above the monolayer WSe2 surface, consequently forming a self-limited growth. The Cu-assisted growth method broadens the scope of the 2D growth of other TMD materials, and also provides more application potential in 2D electronics.

Resonant Auger spectromicroscopy in ultrathin Fe films on W(110)

L3MM Auger transition is measured near the L3 resonance of ferromagnetic Fe films on W(110). The kinetic energies of the Auger peaks display the typical Raman behaviour for photon energies well below the absorption threshold, where the Auger energy follows the changes in the photon energy. Classical Auger behaviour with constant kinetic energy sets in at about 1.5 eV below the L3 resonance independently from the number of Fe layers down to the monolayer thickness. Strong x-ray circular magnetic dichroism is observed at the L3 edge in the entire L3MM Auger spectrum. Different Auger features originating from the final state with two 3p core holes show slight variations in the dichroic signal, which is attributed to the exchange interaction between the core holes and the valence band. Finally, XMCD-PEEM magnetic domain imaging using Auger electrons is demonstrated with a high level of contrast and lateral resolution approaching that of imaging with secondary photoelectrons.

Basic Three-Dimensional (3D) Intestinal Model System with an Immune Component.

There has been an increase in the use of in vivo and in vitro intestinal models to study the pathophysiology of inflammatory intestinal diseases, for the pharmacological screening of potentially beneficial substances, and for toxicity studies on potentially harmful food components. Of relevance, there is a current demand for the development of cell-based in vitro models to substitute animal models. Here, a protocol for a basic, "healthy tissue" three-dimensional (3D) intestinal equivalent model using cell lines is presented with the dual benefit of providing both experimental simplicity (standardized and easily repeatable system) and physiological complexity (Caco-2 enterocytes with a supporting immune component of U937 monocytes and L929 fibroblasts). The protocol also includes paraffin embedding for light microscopic evaluation of fixed intestinal equivalents, thereby providing the advantage of analyzing multiple visual parameters from a single experiment. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained sections showing the Caco-2 columnar cells forming a tight and regular monolayer in control treatments are used to verify the efficacy of the model as an experimental system. Using gluten as a pro-inflammatory food component, parameters analyzed from sections include reduced monolayer thickness, as well as disruption and detachment from the underlying matrix (H&E), decreased tight junction protein expression as shown from occludin staining (quantifiable statistically), and immune-activation of migrating U937 cells as evidenced from the cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) staining and CD11b-related differentiation into macrophages. As shown by using lipopolysaccharide to simulate intestinal inflammation, additional parameters that can be measured are increased mucus staining and cytokine expression (such as midkine) that can be extracted from the medium prior to fixation. The basic three-dimensional (3D) intestinal mucosa model and fixed sections can be recommended for inflammatory status and barrier integrity studies with the possibility of analyzing multiple visual quantifiable parameters.

Single- and Multilayer Build-Up of an Antibacterial Temperature- and UV-Curing Sol-Gel System with Atmospheric Pressure Plasma.

The versatility of sol-gel systems makes them ideal for functional coatings in industry. However, existing coatings are either too thin or take too long to cure. To address these issues, this paper proposes using an atmospheric pressure plasma source to fully cure and functionalize thicker sol-gel coatings in a single step. The study explores coating various substrates with sol-gel layers to make them scratch-resistant, antibacterial, and antiadhesive. Microparticles like copper, zinc, or copper flakes are added to achieve antibacterial effects. The sol-gel system can be sprayed on and quickly functionalized on the substrate. The study focuses on introducing and anchoring particles in the sol-gel layer to achieve an excellent antibacterial effect by changing the penetration depth. Overall, this method offers a more efficient and effective approach to sol-gel coatings for industrial applications. In order to achieve a layer thickness of more than 100 µm, the second part of the study proposes a multilayer system comprising 15 to 30 µm thick monolayers that can be modified by introducing fillers (such as TiO2) or scratch-resistant chemicals like titanium isopropoxide. This system also allows for individual plasma functionalization of each sol-gel layer. For instance, the top layer can be introduced with antibacterial particles, while another layer can be enhanced with fillers to increase wear resistance. The study reveals the varying antibacterial effects of spherical particles versus flat flakes and the different scratch hardnesses induced by changes in pH, number of layers, and particle introduction.

Charge-state lifetimes of single molecules on few monolayers of NaCl

In molecular tunnel junctions, where the molecule is decoupled from the electrodes by few-monolayers-thin insulating layers, resonant charge transport takes place by sequential charge transfer to and from the molecule which implies transient charging of the molecule. The corresponding charge state transitions, which involve tunneling through the insulating decoupling layers, are crucial for understanding electrically driven processes such as electroluminescence or photocurrent generation in such a geometry. Here, we use scanning tunneling microscopy to investigate the decharging of single ZnPc and H2Pc molecules through NaCl films of 3 to 5 monolayers thickness on Cu(111) and Au(111). To this end, we approach the tip to the molecule at resonant tunnel conditions up to a regime where charge transport is limited by tunneling through the NaCl film. The resulting saturation of the tunnel current is a direct measure of the lifetimes of the anionic and cationic states, i.e., the molecule’s charge-state lifetime, and thus provides a means to study charge dynamics and, thereby, exciton dynamics. Comparison of anion and cation lifetimes on different substrates reveals the critical role of the level alignment with the insulator’s conduction and valence band, and the metal-insulator interface state.

Molecular Dynamics Simulations on the Adsorbed Monolayers of N-Dodecyl Betaine at the Air-Water Interface.

Betaine is a kind of zwitterionic surfactant with both positive and negative charge groups on the polar head, showing good surface activity and aggregation behaviors. The interfacial adsorption, structures and properties of n-dodecyl betaine (NDB) at different surface coverages at the air-water interface are studied through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Interactions between the polar heads and water molecules, the distribution of water molecules around polar heads, the tilt angle of the NDB molecule, polar head and tail chain with respect to the surface normal, the conformations and lengths of the tail chain, and the interfacial thickness of the NDB monolayer are analyzed. The change of surface coverage hardly affects the locations and spatial distributions of the water molecules around the polar heads. As more NDB molecules are adsorbed at the air-water interface, the number of hydrogen bonds between polar heads and water molecules slightly decreases, while the lifetimes of hydrogen bonds become larger. With the increase in surface coverage, less gauche defects along the alkyl chain and longer NDB chain are obtained. The thickness of the NDB monolayer also increases. At large surface coverages, tilted angles of the polar head, tail chain and whole NDB molecule show little change with the increase in surface area. Surface coverages can change the tendency of polar heads and the tail chain for the surface normal.

Breaking the 10 nm barrier using molecular ions in nuclear microprobes

The spatial resolution plays a crucial role in determining the performance of a nuclear microprobe. However, the formation of spatial resolutions below 10 nm remains a challenge in nuclear microprobes. Here, we propose novel technologies (near-axis scanning transmission ion microscopy and double-fragment scattering) utilizing molecular ions to address this challenge and demonstrate a H2+ molecular beam with 6.0 × 10 nm2 lateral resolution and monolayer thickness resolution respectively. Using the improved nuclear microprobe, we directly demonstrate that the ionization of a H2+ can be efficiently achieved using one single layer graphene, and also that single and few layers of freestanding graphene can be clearly differentiated and identified. The precise control of fast molecular ions at sub-10 nm scales has the potential to unlock new avenues of applications.

Electronic Structure and Surface Chemistry of Hexagonal Boron Nitride on HOPG and Nickel Substrates.

The effect of point defects and interactions with the substrate are shown by density functional theory calculations to be of significant importance for the structure and functional properties of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) films on highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) and Ni(111) substrates. The structure, surface chemistry, and electronic properties are calculated for h-BN systems with selected intrinsic, oxygen, and carbon defects and with graphene hybrid structures. The electronic structure of a pristine monolayer of h-BN is dependent on the type of substrate, as h-BN is decoupled electronically from the HOPG surface and acts as bulk-like h-BN, whereas on a Ni(111) substrate, metallic-like behavior is predicted. These different film/substrate systems therefore show different reactivities and defect chemistries. The formation energies for substitutional defects are significantly lower than for intrinsic defects regardless of the substrate, and vacancies formed during film deposition are expected to be filled by either ambient oxygen or carbon from impurities. Significantly lower formation energies for intrinsic and oxygen and carbon substitutional defects were predicted for h-BN on Ni(111). In-plane h-BCN hybrid structures were predicted to be terminated by N-C bonding. Substitutional carbon on the boron site imposes n-type semiconductivity in h-BN, and the n-type character increases significantly for h-BN on HOPG. The h-BN film surface becomes electronically decoupled from the substrate when exceeding monolayer thickness, showing that the surface electronic properties and point defect chemistry for multilayer h-BN films should be comparable to those of a freestanding h-BN layer.

DFT Study of Cl− Ingress into Organic Self-Assembled Monolayers on Aluminum

We address the mechanism by which organic layers on aluminum substrate hinder the penetration of Cl− toward the metal substrate. Localized corrosion by chlorides on Al and its alloys is a major problem, and organic molecules that form self-assembled monolayers on metal substrates may provide efficient corrosion protection. In one of our previous works, we established experimentally that long-chain n-alkyl carboxylic acids form protective layers against Cl− corrosion on Al substrates. In a different work, we identified, using implicit models of the organic layer and metal substrate, two essential effects by which organic layers hinder the penetration of Cl− ions toward the metal substrate. The first effect is due to the inferior solvation of ions in the organic layer compared to that in an aqueous solvent. The second effect is due to the electric field at the electrochemical interface, and the extent to which it affects the penetration of Cl− depends on the electrode potential and the thickness of the organic layer. Both effects are related to a low dielectric constant of the self-assembled monolayer. In the present study, we continue our investigation and explicitly model the organic monolayer and Al substrate using density-functional-theory calculations. To this end, we consider organic monolayers consisting of either dodecanoic- or hexanoic-acid molecules. Current calculations confirm the findings of the simplified implicit models, i.e. the energy barrier for the Cl− penetration increases with the thickness of the organic monolayer and with Cl− concentration in the monolayer. Furthermore, we propose a new mechanism by which Cl− penetrates the organic monolayer. Due to the considerably inferior solvation of Cl− in the organic layer compared to that in water, calculations suggest that it is energetically easier to locally “open” the organic monolayer by creating a hole large enough to accommodate water molecules and Cl−. The presence of water molecules ensures a stronger Cl− solvation and a better electrostatic screening between anions. While the energy barrier for the Cl− penetration via the local “opening” mechanism is suggested to be smaller than for the penetration of Cl− into dense homogeneous organic monolayer, it is still significant enough to pose a considerable kinetic barrier for the penetration of Cl− from the aqueous solution into the organic monolayer at room temperature.

Molecular engineering of technologically relevant surfaces - carboxylic acids on naturally oxidized aluminum

Aluminum is a versatile, yet inexpensive metal that, when covered by oxide layer, might be employed as a gate dielectric in OFET devices, which carrier mobility could be enhanced by functionalization of dielectric by aliphatic carboxylic acid self-assembled monolayer (SAM). Although the organization of such SAMs plays an important role for the OFET performance, no systematical analysis of the impact of the preparation conditions on the quality of the carboxylate SAMs on aluminum oxide has been conducted so far, to the best of our knowledge. In the current work, we analyze, by the example of heptadecanoic acid SAM, the influence of the three crucial factors (i.e., type of solvent, immersion time, and incubation temperature) on the quality of the monolayer prepared by the standard immersion procedure. Several complementary techniques are combined to demonstrate a critical role of solvent choice in terms of monolayer order, orientation, thickness, and wettability. The results indicate in particular that the high solubility hinders the creation of high-quality SAMs, probably due to the solvent molecules incorporation into the monolayer. As a result of this study, we propose and rationalize a set of parameters enabling to obtain densely packed and well-ordered carboxylate SAMs on naturally oxidized aluminum.

Porous and Partially Dehydrogenated Fe2+ -Containing Iron Oxyhydroxide Nanosheets for Efficient Electrochemical Nitrogen Reduction Reaction (ENRR).

The design and development of efficient catalysts for electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction (ENRR) under ambient conditions are critical for the alternative ammonia (NH3 ) synthesis from N2 and H2 O, wherein iron-based electrocatalysts exhibit outstanding NH3 formation rate and Faradaic efficiency (FE). Here, the synthesis of porous and positively charged iron oxyhydroxide nanosheets by using layered ferrous hydroxide as a starting precursor, which undergoes topochemical oxidation, partial dehydrogenated reaction, and final delamination, is reported. As the electrocatalyst of ENRR, the obtained nanosheets with a monolayer thickness and 10-nm mesopores display exceptional NH3 yield rate (28.5µg h-1 mgcat. -1 ) and FE (13.2%) at a potential of -0.4V versus RHE in a phosphate buffered saline (PBS) electrolyte. The values are much higher than those of the undelaminated bulk iron oxyhydroxide. The larger specific surface area and positive charge of the nanosheets are beneficial for providing more exposed reactive sites as well as retarding hydrogen evolution reaction. This study highlights the rational control on the electronic structure and morphology of porous iron oxyhydroxide nanosheets, expanding the scope of developing non-precious iron-based highly efficient ENRR electrocatalysts.

Non-Covalent Free-Standing Monolayer Nanoarchitectonics of Heterocoronene-Based Discotic Liquid Crystal Molecules

With excellent charge carrier mobility, tendency to form long-range assembly with self-healing ability, and remarkable chemical and mechanical stability, highly conjugated discotic molecules constitute an important class of materials for electronic applications. Here, we report formation of the stable free-standing molecular film of heterocoronene-based discotic liquid crystal (DLC) molecules, held solely by supra-molecular non-covalent interactions. The films of monolayer thickness (∼4 nm) were lifted from Langmuir trough directly onto a circular ring of diameter up to 2 mm as well as onto TEM grids. Films remain free-standing up to a macroscopic length scale, as revealed by optical and secondary electron microscopy, presumably due to the synergistic effect of intermolecular π–π interactions and the dispersion forces between the peripheral alkyl chains as well as their interdigitation. The monolayer is more than 97% transparent in the visible range. Further, resistive switching measurements carried out on the monolayer DLC film transferred on a silver substrate revealed electrochemical metallization to be the governing process. The switching time was found to decrease exponentially with voltage indicating nucleation to be a possible rate-limiting step. We anticipate that the method presented here will facilitate utilization of such non-covalent free-standing films in flexible memristor and nano-electromechanical systems.