Emergent cooperative superstructures via order-disorder kinetics in molecular intercalation superlattices.

Authors

Taiga Ueda, Hideki Matsuoka, Shungo Aoyagi, Shunsuke Kitou, Yijin Zhang, Fumihiko Kimura, Kenta Hagiwara, Masato Sakano, Takahiro Iwagaki, Yuiga Nakamura, Kyoko Ishizaka, Tomoki Machida, Masayuki Suda, Taka-Hisa Arima, Naoya Kanazawa

Published in

Science advances. Volume 12. Issue 32. Pages eaeg4785. Aug 07, 2026. Epub Aug 05, 2026.

Abstract

Molecular intercalation superlattices, formed by inserting organic molecules into van der Waals crystals, create inorganic-organic hybrid interfaces that have enabled a variety of emergent phenomena. Traditionally, the intercalated molecules have been regarded as inactive spacers, while their collective ordering have remained largely unexplored. Here, we report the discovery of a cooperative superstructure phase in molecule-intercalated niobium diselenide (NbSe₂), where ordering of the guest molecules induce a superstructure in the NbSe₂ host lattice, characterized by a moiré structure due to incommensurability between molecular and inorganic lattices. Thermal-quench measurements show that the transition is governed by slow order-disorder kinetics, contrasting with fast charge or magnetic ordering in inorganic solids. Our findings establish molecular ordering as a route for engineering heterointerfaces, enabling thermally programmable superstructures.

PMID:
42555734
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Aug 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.