Direct growth of single-metal-atom chains

Single-metal-atom chains (SMACs), as the smallest one-dimensional structure, have intriguing physical and chemical properties. Although several SMACs have been realized so far, their controllable fabrication remains challenging due to the need to arrange single atoms in an atomically precise manner. Here we develop a chemical vapour co-deposition method to construct a wafer-scale network of platinum SMACs in atom-thin films. The obtained atomic chains possess an average length of up to ~17 nm and a high density of over 10 wt%. Interestingly, as a consequence of the electronic delocalization of platinum atoms along the chain, this atomically coherent one-dimensional channel delivers a metallic behaviour, as revealed by electronic measurements, first-principles calculations and complex network modelling. Our strategy is potentially extendable to other transition metals such as cobalt, enriching the toolbox for manufacturing SMACs and paving the way for the fundamental study of one-dimensional systems and the development of devices comprising monoatomic chains. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]