Bilayer graphene (BLG) has a two-dimensional (2D) interlayer
nanospace
that can be used to intercalate molecules and ions, resulting in a
significant change of its electronic and magnetic properties. Intercalation
of BLG with different materials, such as FeCl3, MoCl5, Li ions, and Ca ions, has been demonstrated. However, little
is known about how the twist angle of the BLG host affects intercalation.
Here, by using artificially stacked BLG with controlled twist angles,
we systematically investigated the twist angle dependence of intercalation
of metal chlorides. We discovered that BLG with high twist angles
of >15° is more favorable for intercalation than BLG with
low
twist angles. Density functional theory calculations suggested that
the weaker interlayer coupling in high twist angle BLG is the key
for effective intercalation. Scanning transmission electron microscope
observations revealed that co-intercalation of AlCl3 and
CuCl2 molecules into BLG gives various 2D structures in
the confined interlayer nanospace. Moreover, before intercalation
we observed a significantly lower sheet resistance in BLG with high
twist angles (281 ± 98 Ω/□) than that in AB stacked
BLG (580 ± 124 Ω/□). Intercalation further decreased
the sheet resistance, reaching values as low as 48 Ω/□,
which is the lowest value reported so far for BLG. This work provides
a twist angle-dependent phenomenon, in which enhanced intercalation
and drastic changes of the electrical properties can be realized by
controlling the stacking angle of adjacent graphene layers.