Engineering Quantum Materials via a Simple Galvanic Intercalation Method

A versatile galvanic process introduces diverse molecular cations into van der Waals crystals, yielding 50 hybrid superlattices and enabling vertical and lateral intercalation heterostructures.

Molecular intercalation—the insertion of organic species between the layers of van der Waals crystals—offers a powerful way to combine the electronic and magnetic properties of 2D materials with the chemical versatility of molecules. It can generate hybrid solids with emergent functionalities, from tailored superconductivity to molecule-driven magnetism. Yet its potential has been limited by poor material compatibility and by methods that damage delicate thin flakes.

In a new paper published in Nature Synthesis, our broad research team* reports a simple yet effective galvanic strategy that overcomes these challenges. Galvanic processes—first explored by Luigi Galvani and later formalized by Alessandro Volta—use chemical reactions to generate electrical currents. We harness this principle by using metals such as magnesium, zinc or indium, which naturally release electrons in solution. This built-in electrochemical potential drives the spontaneous intercalation of positively charged molecules into both bulk and few-layer van der Waals crystals, all without external voltage or harsh conditions.

Our galvanic method enables selective intercalation into one specific crystal within a stacked structure, leaving the neighbouring layers unchanged.

Using this method, we intercalated nine different van der Waals materials with a wide library of organic cations, producing 50 new organic–inorganic superlattices with structural quality often comparable to pristine crystals. The approach also unlocks new design possibilities. Its intrinsic material selectivity enables vertical intercalation heterostructures, where only one component of a stacked crystal is modified, producing atomically sharp functional interfaces. Its controllable kinetics, in turn, make it possible to generate lateral heterostructures within a single flake without lithography. Crucially, galvanic intercalation can be applied directly to fabricated devices, yielding superconducting hybrid junctions where pristine and intercalated regions exhibit distinct quantum phases.

Together, these results establish galvanic molecular intercalation as a versatile and gentle platform for building hybrid quantum materials and integrating molecular functionality into next-generation electronic and quantum devices.

* Collaboration between:

• CFM
• CIC nanoGUNE
• Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Universidad de Zaragoza
• Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragon, CSIC-Universidad de Zaragoza
• Facultad de Químicas, University of the Basque Country (EHU)
• Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
• POLYMAT
• Instituto de Ciencia Molecular, Universitat de València
• IKERBASQUE
• Donostia International Physics Center, DIPC