Intrinsically Patterned Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Halides.

Patterning and defect engineering are key methods for tuning the properties and enabling distinctive functionalities in two-dimensional (2D) materials. However, generating 2D periodic patterns of point defects in 2D materials, such as vacancy lattices that can serve as antidot lattices, has been elusive until now. Herein, we report on 2D transition metal dihalides epitaxially grown on metal surfaces featuring periodically assembled halogen vacancies that result in alternating coordination of the transition metal atom. Using low-temperature scanning probe microscopy and low-energy electron diffraction, we identified the structural properties of intrinsically patterned FeBr