Interfacial Mechanoelectrochemical Activity of Liquid Metals Induced GaN Growth via N2 Molecular Clipping at Room Temperature

Atomic-level modification of molecules represents a crucial pathway for developing advanced functional materials and serves as a cornerstone of advanced chemical synthesis. Molecular clipping offers a facile, low-energy approach for regulating the composition and structure of materials, with broad implications for diverse fields. However, existing molecular clipping techniques, including covalent bond breaking and releasing of intermediates, remain synthetically demanding, hindering their wider adoption. The electron-rich surface of liquid metals confers a lower reaction potential, suggesting considerable significant potential for catalysis and enabling traditionally demanding reactions to proceed efficiently in a simple, low-energy manner. Herein, the unique surface properties of liquid metals were utilized for nitrogen (N2) clipping and achieving facile synthesis of gallium nitride (GaN) at room temperature, which was previously generally considered unattainable. In a N2 atmosphere, the liquid metals were stimulated and stirred through polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), resulting in the generation, accumulation, and transport of electric charges on the surface of liquid metals and leading to the formation of microcurrents. This process facilitated the clipping of the exceptionally strong N≡N bond, generating reactive nitrogen species that subsequently reacted with gallium (Ga) to form GaN. This work offers a facile and potentially generalizable strategy for complex molecular editing, advancing the development of atomically precise functional materials.