000164159 001__ 164159 000164159 005__ 20251127172930.0 000164159 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1002/advs.202508262 000164159 0248_ $$2sideral$$a146330 000164159 037__ $$aART-2025-146330 000164159 041__ $$aeng 000164159 100__ $$aKerschbaumer, Samuel 000164159 245__ $$aCoverage-Dependent Structural Evolution of CoBr2 at the Au(111) Interface 000164159 260__ $$c2025 000164159 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000164159 5203_ $$aUnraveling the growth mechanism of van der Waals materials is crucial for their device implementation, as this improves the overall film quality, allowing precise control of their electronic and magnetic properties in nanoscale applications. The initial structure formed on the substrate during growth is often assumed to be bulk-like, thereby neglecting the role of the surface in the assembly. Here, the coverage–dependent growth of CoBr2 on Au(111) from a stoichiometric molecular powder is studied using a combination of experimental techniques, machine–learning-driven molecular dynamics simulations and density functional theory calculations. It is found that CoBr2 molecules initially form a molecular precursor phase characterized by three-molecule clusters arranged in a surface–stabilized structure with long-range order and a periodic coincidence with Au(111). As the surface coverage is increased, this phase subsequently undergoes a transition to form the equilibrium van der Waals crystal layered structure observed for the bulk material. These findings challenge conventional views of direct van der Waals layer formation and provide new insight into the role of the substrate during the growth process. 000164159 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/E12-23R$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/101064332/EU/Addressing molecular spin qubits by ESR-STM/QMOLESR$$9This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 101064332-QMOLESR$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/PID2020-114252GB-I00$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/MCIU/TED2021-130292B-C42$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/MCIU/TED2021-132388B-C43$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN AEI/PID2022-138750NB-C21$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICINN AEI/PID2022-138750NB-C22$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCINN/PID2022-140845OB-C65$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MCIU/PID2023-148225NB-C31 000164159 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.es 000164159 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000164159 700__ $$aOndrácek, Martin 000164159 700__ $$aHadjadj, Sebastien E. 000164159 700__ $$aStetsovych, Oleksandr 000164159 700__ $$aPinar Solé, Andrés 000164159 700__ $$aCandia, Adriana Elizabet 000164159 700__ $$aAngulo-Portugal, Paula 000164159 700__ $$aAguirre-Baños, Andrea 000164159 700__ $$aCorso, Martina 000164159 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-3260-9641$$aSerrate, David 000164159 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-2698-2543$$aLobo-Checa, Jorge 000164159 700__ $$aJelínek, Pavel 000164159 700__ $$aIlyn, Maxim 000164159 700__ $$aPiaggi, Pablo M. 000164159 700__ $$aRogero, Celia 000164159 773__ $$g(2025), e08262 [8 p.]$$pAdv. sci.$$tAdvanced Science$$x2198-3844 000164159 8564_ $$s14348272$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164159/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000164159 8564_ $$s2595108$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/164159/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000164159 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:164159$$particulos$$pdriver 000164159 951__ $$a2025-11-27-15:16:10 000164159 980__ $$aARTICLE