Two-dimensional superconducting MoSiN(MoN) homologous compounds.

The number and stacking order of layers are two important degrees of freedom that can modulate the properties of 2D van der Waals (vdW) materials. However, the layers' structures are essentially limited to the known layered 3D vdW materials. Recently, a new 2D vdW material, MoSiN, without known 3D counterparts, was synthesized by passivating the surface dangling bonds of non-layered 2D molybdenum nitride with elemental silicon, whose monolayer can be viewed as a monolayer MoN (-N-Mo-N-) sandwiched between two Si-N layers. This unique sandwich structure endows the MoSiN monolayer with many fascinating properties and intriguing applications, and the surface-passivating growth method creates the possibility of tuning the layer's structure of 2D vdW materials. Here we synthesized a series of MoSiN(MoN) structures confined in the matrix of multilayer MoSiN. These super-thick monolayers are the homologous compounds of MoSiN, which can be viewed as multilayer MoN (MoN) sandwiched between two Si-N layers. First-principles calculations show that MoSiN(MoN) monolayers have much higher Young's modulus than MoN, which is attributed to the strong Si-N bonds on the surface. Importantly, different from the semiconducting nature of the MoSiN monolayer, the MoSiN(MoN) monolayer is identified as a superconductor with a transition temperature of 9.02 K. The discovery of MoSiN(MoN) structures not only expands the family of 2D materials but also brings a new degree of freedom to tailor the structure of 2D vdW materials, which may lead to unexpected novel properties and applications.