Wang Xiao, Kou Zepu, Qiao Ruixi, Long Yuyang, Li Baowen, Li Xuemei, Guo Wanlin, Liu Xiaofei, Yin Jun
State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control for Aerospace Structures, Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Institute for Frontier Science, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, P. R. China.
Nat Commun. 2025 Jan 2;16(1):324. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54484-8.
Van der Waals interaction in multilayer structures was predicted to be of many-body character, almost in parallel with the establishment of Lifshitz theory. However, the diminishing interaction between layers separated by a finite-thickness intermediate layer prevents experimental verification of the many-body nature. Here we verify the substrate contribution at the adhesion between the atomic force microscopy tip and the supported graphene, by taking advantage of the atomic-scale proximity of two objects separated by graphene. While the pairwise dispersion theory overestimates the substrate contribution at critical adhesive pressures, the many-body dispersion theory remedies this deficiency, highlighting the non-additivity nature of substrate contribution. The many-body effect is further understood through the energy spectrum of charge density fluctuations. These findings open the door to modulating the van der Waals interaction on two-dimensional material surfaces, which would be relevant to various technologies, including microelectromechanical systems and surface molecular assembly.
多层结构中的范德华相互作用被预测具有多体性质，这几乎与 Lifshitz 理论的建立是同步的。然而，由有限厚度中间层隔开的各层之间相互作用的减弱，阻碍了对多体性质的实验验证。在这里，我们利用被石墨烯隔开的两个物体在原子尺度上的接近性，验证了原子力显微镜探针与支撑石墨烯之间粘附时基底的贡献。虽然成对色散理论在临界粘附压力下高估了基底的贡献，但多体色散理论弥补了这一不足，突出了基底贡献的非加和性本质。通过电荷密度涨落的能谱可以进一步理解多体效应。这些发现为调控二维材料表面的范德华相互作用打开了大门，这将与包括微机电系统和表面分子组装在内的各种技术相关。
