- By:
- Shchukin, Konstantin; Gallego Lacey, Oliver; Coquinot, Baptiste; Jakowski, Jacek ; Huang, Jingsong J; Staudenmeyer, Patrik; Falke, Yannic; Prakash Pandeya, Ram; Gruneis, Alexander
- Journal Name:
- ACS Nano
- Page Number:
- 17360-17372
- Volume:
- 20
- Issue Number:
- 24
- Publication Date:
- July 6, 2026
- View DOI Listing:
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.6c02466
Abstract
An in-operando electro-intercalation method for the on-chip synthesis of alkali-metal-intercalated materials and their Raman spectroscopic and transport characterization in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is developed. We apply this method to synthesize fulleride superconductors via Rb+ intercalation into a C60 film. During the intercalation, we monitor the stoichiometry via UHV-Raman spectroscopy and probe superconductivity via transport measurements. An increase of the superconducting transition temperature from 7.0 K to 14.5 K is observed when the stoichiometry is tuned from Rb2.7C60 to Rb3C60. In our experiment, an ionic Rb+ flux into the host material is induced by an applied electronic current via a Butler–Volmer-type mechanism. Electro-intercalation captivates through improved stoichiometric precision, the ability to smoothly vary stoichiometry via duration of current application, and the absence of a lower limit of the volume of the host material. It represents a powerful concept for the on-chip synthesis of intercalated materials, battery research, and beyond.
