Chemists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have successfully captured real-time images of bilayer covalent organic frameworks (COFs) forming in solution. This breakthrough sheds new light on how these layers stack and how moiré superlattices emerge. Moiré superlattices are part of the growing field of “twistronics,” where rotating one atomic layer relative to another can create new electronic properties. In this state, electrons no longer behave as independent particles but instead strongly interact with each other, potentially leading to unique forms of superconductivity or magnetism.
While moiré superlattices have been observed in inorganic materials, they are far rarer in purely organic crystals. This is because moiré patterns require materials that are both ultrathin and highly crystalline — properties that are difficult to achieve in organic materials using conventional imaging techniques.
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