Two dimensional covalent moire superlattice from fluorinating twisted bilayer graphene

Abstract

Moire materials exhibit diverse quantum properties such as superconductivity and correlated topo logical phases, making them ideal for studying strongly correlated systems. While moire materials are typically formed by stacking two-dimensional materials with interlayer interaction dominated by weak van der Waals (vdW) forces, we explore the possibility for constructing moire covalent super lattices by fluorinating twisted bilayer graphene. With first principle calculations, we demonstrate that fluorination of twisted bilayer graphene (TBG) can induce covalent bonds between adjacent layers, transforming the vdW-dominated interactions. This results in enhanced modulation of the electronic structure, with abundant flat bands across the spectrum. Our findings suggest that cova lent moire superlattices offer new platforms for exploring correlated quantum phenomena and moire covalent chemistry.