Layer by Layer: Exploring the Potential of Two-Dimensional Vanadium-Doped Chromium Oxychloride for Chemical Exfoliation

Abstract

Magnetic two-dimensional (2D) materials are pivotal in the expanding field of spintronics due to their size-dependent magnetic properties and high tunability. Among these materials, chromium oxychloride (CrOCl) is distinguished by its unique antiferromagnetic properties, alongside its significant magnetic anisotropy and intriguing metamagnetic features. However, the exfoliation of CrOCl down to the monolayer limit has been inhibited by its strong inter-layer van der Waals (vdW) forces. In contrast, vanadium oxychloride (VOCl), an isostructural sibling to CrOCl, can be exfoliated down to the monolayer level through means of chemical exfoliation, as demonstrated by Villalpando et al. Therefore, this project explores the potential of enhancing CrOCl’s exfoliability to the monolayer and modifying both its structural and magnetic characteristics by substitutionally doping it with vanadium. This study focuses on evaluating the success of the doping process, optimizing its parameters, and examining any alterations in CrOCl’s structural and magnetic properties. Through this approach, I hope to assist in unlocking the possibility that doping can effectively enhance the chemical exfoliation of some more challenging 2D compounds.