Bilayer

Chemical physics

Stacking

Electrochemistry

Materials science

Graphene

Superlattice

Misorientation

Biochemistry

Electron transfer

Grain boundary

Physical chemistry

Physics

Nanotechnology

Organic chemistry

Membrane

Bilayer graphene

Molecular physics

Microstructure

Condensed matter physics

Crystallography

Chemistry

Electrode

Optoelectronics

Nature Chemistry

Tailoring electron transfer dynamics across solid–liquid interfaces is fundamental to the interconversion of electrical and chemical energy. Stacking atomically thin layers with a small azimuthal misorientation to produce moiré superlattices enables the controlled engineering of electronic band structures and the formation of extremely flat electronic bands. Here, we report a strong twist-angle dependence of heterogeneous charge transfer kinetics at twisted bilayer graphene electrodes with the greatest enhancement observed near the ‘magic angle’ (~1.1°). This effect is driven by the angle-dependent tuning of moiré-derived flat bands that modulate electron transfer processes with the solution-phase redox couple. Combined experimental and computational analysis reveals that the variation in electrochemical activity with moiré angle is controlled by a structural relaxation of the moiré superlattice at twist angles of <2°, and ‘topological defect’ AA stacking regions, where flat bands are localized, produce a large anomalous local electrochemical enhancement that cannot be accounted for by the elevated local density of states alone. Controlling the crystallographic registry of layered materials through interlayer twist angles has introduced a distinctive degree of freedom for tuning their electronic behaviour. Now, the interfacial electrochemical kinetics of solution-phase redox complexes at twisted bilayer graphene electrodes have been modulated by the angle-dependent tuning of moiré-derived flat bands.

Tunable angle-dependent electrochemistry at twisted bilayer graphene with moiré flat bands