About

Maxx Arguilla is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Irvine, within the Department of Chemistry. He is part of the UC Irvine School of Physical Sciences and is based in the Natural Sciences I building. His contact email is marguill@uci.edu. As a faculty member, he contributes to the department's research and educational missions, although specific details about his research focus, background, or key contributions are not provided on the page.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Chemical physics
• Optics
• Nanotechnology
• Physics
• Physical chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Composite material
• Condensed matter physics
• Metallurgy
• Crystallography
• Optoelectronics

Selected publications

• Non-covalent inter-chain interactions dictate single chain encapsulation behavior of pnictogen chalcogenides within van der Waals nanotubes

  ChemRxiv · 2026-01-04

  articleSenior author

  A fully developed understanding of the chemistry that governs interactions in low-dimensional materials is essential to realizing control over their structure, nanoscale morphology, and distinct physical properties. Yet, precisely achieving this in extended solids comprised of highly polarizable main group elements has remained a grand challenge especially in one-dimensional materials that approach the atomic scale. This is owing to the propensity of these heavy main group elements to drive the unusual localization or delocalization behavior of electrons in the system and the formation of competing metastable polytypes due to lone pair effects. In this report, we establish the composition-dependent encapsulation behavior of single chains derived from the low-dimensional Pn2Ch3 pnictogen chalcogenide class (Pn = Sb, Bi; Ch = S, Se, Te) and their strong dependence on the strength of inter-chain non-covalent interactions. Using Sb2S3 and Bi2S3 as model phases, we find that the degree of pnictogen (Pn) bonding is a significant factor in dictating the packing of the constituent quasi-1D chains in the bulk and their growth behavior as single chains upon encapsulation within single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Specifically, chains with weaker inter-chain interactions like Sb2S3 preferentially crystallize under slow-cooled growth parameters that resemble more thermodynamically preferred conditions while chains with stronger inter-chain interactions like Bi2S3 prefer to crystallize and isolate as bulk and only form the elusive encapsulated clustered and crystalline chain domains under rapidly quenched conditions. Systematic Sb/Bi alloying of the precursors revealed the pnictogen-dependence of the chain crystallization where Sb-rich alloys tend to more preferentially crystallize within SWCNTs. In these alloys, Bi preferentially occupies the peripheral three-coordinate site to maximize inter-chain interactions in the bulk, while Sb preferentially occupies the same site when encapsulated within SWCNT and devoid of chains adjacent to it. These results demonstrate that non-covalent bonding concepts in molecular main group systems track in low-dimensional solids that approach the atomic regime when encapsulated within nanotubes, marking a significant step forward in the rational and predictable encapsulation of all-inorganic chains within confined spaces.

  PublisherDOI

• Dimensional crossover in ternary chalcohalide van der Waals crystals driven by the interplay of ionicity and topology

  ChemRxiv · 2026-04-09

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Dimensionality is a concept tied to crystalline order, electronic states, and physical properties. While the chemical basis of dimensionality in inorganic 3D and 2D solids is known, the evolution of the 25 structure and physical states of 2D layers into 1D chains remains poorly understood. Here, we leverage solid solutions in the InTeI—InSeI series representing the emergent III–VI–VII van der Waals class to demonstrate the seamless chalcogen-driven dimensional crossover of the 2D layered phase (InTeI) to the sought-after 1D chain analogue (InSeI) that manifests helicity. Computational and experimental structures, bond valencies, binding energies, and Bader charges establish that bond ionicity scale with Se content which 30 define the electronic states and drive the stabilization of 1D helical chains from the more Te-rich 2D phase. This interplay between ionicity and dimensionality reconciles the structural evolution in III–VI–VII crystals and can be invoked to rationally design new low-dimensional materials.

  PublisherDOI

• Systematic Helical Complexity Imparted by Chalcogen Atoms in Gallium Chalco-Iodide Tetrahelices

  ChemRxiv · 2026-04-15

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Low-dimensional materials with main group elements manifest unique bonding motifs and exhibit strong axis-dependent responses. In particular, extended lattices with 1D helical motifs have been sought for their ability to host such physical states, and further for their ability to host unique quantum states due to their spring-like and chiral ordering. However, owing to their rarity, the difficulty in experimentally realizing 20 modular classes of freestanding, all-inorganic helical materials with tunable structures has limited the physical understanding of their structure- and composition-dependent properties in experimentally realizable systems. Here, we present a new helical 1D van der Waals (vdW) crystal, GaTeI, to complete the 1D gallium chalco-iodide crystal series. Through the realization of GaTeI, we study the profound influence of the identity of the chalcogen site to the crystalline order and helical structure of the exfoliable 1D vdW 25 III-VI-VII class. By analyzing the local coordination environment and helical parameters of the Ga(S, Se, Te)I series, we establish the systematic stretching of the helical structure that is driven by the rigid interchain interactions and the distortion of the tetrahedral building units along the chain. Our results highlight how the identity of the chalcogen strongly dictates the projected geometric cross-section of the helical chains to form unusual helical motifs such as the Boerdijk-Coxeter tetrahelix in GaSeI, and the non-natural 30 helical cross-sections such as the “squircle” in GaSI and the corrugated motif in GaTeI. Given the range of accessible helical compositions, we also demonstrate the chalcogen dependence of the bandgaps that cover a broad spectral window spanning the visible to the UV regime. These findings present an experimentally accessible and modular group of helical structures that underscores how fine tuning of the constituent atoms

  PublisherDOI

• Facet-Specific Liquid-Phase Exfoliation of an Ionic 1D Crystal, (NbSe ₄ ) ₃ I, into Ultrathin Nanoribbons

  ACS Materials Au · 2025-11-10

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) of emergent materials composed of weakly bound one-dimensional (1D) and quasi-1D (q-1D) building blocks presents a straightforward route not only for the discovery of confined physical states in 1D but also for the realization of scalable functional devices. However, compared to the more established routes in two-dimensional (2D) crystals, the nature of LPE in 1D and q-1D crystals presents a more random process. This distinction arises from the various available interchain directions across several crystallographic facets unique to 1D and q-1D solids, from which the chains can be cleaved apart into a stochastic combination of nanowires, nanoribbons, and nanosheets. Using the 1D ionic phase comprised of ∼4.3 Å thin chains, (NbSe4)3I, we demonstrate herein the profound influence of crystal morphology, exposed facets, and their degree of wettability, passivation, and surface roughness in directing the LPE behavior of 1D crystals. Through the growth of bulk crystals as long needles with exposed (hk0) facets or as quasi-2D flakes with exposed (00l) facets susceptible to passivation, we show that these two distinct precursor morphologies display divergent behavior─both in solvent preference and quality of resulting nanostructures. Under optimal conditions involving bulk needles and tetrahydrofuran as solvent, we show that the LPE of (NbSe4)3I results in ultrathin nanoribbons with high aspect ratios bearing lengths >5 μm, thicknesses down to 7.2 ± 2.6 nm, and widths of 26.4 ± 10.9 nm. The nanoribbons, solution processable as thin films, retain their native crystal structure and semiconducting character. Moreover, the nanoribbons also manifest pronounced degrees of bending and substrate-driven twisting at the nanoscale while maintaining long-range order. These results highlight a means to understand the fundamental chemical and physical behavior of noncovalently bound 1D solids through the realization of solution-processable 1D nanoribbons and nanowires that also have the potential as components for next-generation devices that approach the atomic scale.

  PublisherDOI

• Triel-defined helicity in one-dimensional III-VI-VII van der Waals crystals

  ChemRxiv · 2025-04-21 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Inorganic extended lattice solids that bear complex helical motifs manifest unusual physical and quantum states that arise due to their non-centrosymmetric or chiral nature. However, the systematic understanding of how elemental composition influences the structure and physical properties in helical inorganic crystals have been precluded by the rarity of these materials and the lack of modular phases that display such motifs. Here, we report the synthesis of AlSeI single crystals, the first aluminum-containing helical crystal in the III-VI-VII 1D van der Waals class. AlSeI completes the experimentally accessible triel series in the helical seleno-iodides alongside InSeI and GaSeI. Using the Al, Ga, and In triel series in this seleno-iodide class, we experimentally demonstrate the evolution of the local quasi-tetrahedral building unit geometry, chain packing, helical parameters, and band gaps based primarily on the identity of the triel atom. Our results underscore the chemical modularity of these phases, the broad range of helical parameters and the spectrum of electronic states from the visible to the ultraviolet range in this emergent class of 1D, exfoliable, and helical extended lattice solids.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Persistent Metallicity and Systematic Vacancies in Tellurium-based Quasi-One-Dimensional Chevrel-Type Single Crystals

  ChemRxiv · 2025-04-17

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  The coexistence of prominent structural anisotropies with low-dimensional structural units that approach the atomic scale has endowed numerous emergent materials with unusual and, often, sought-after physical properties. Recently, the highly modular class of ternary transition metal Chevrel-type chalcogenides, consisting of infinite quasi-one-dimensional (q-1D) [Mo3Q3]n– (Q = S, Se, or Te) columnar chains with sub-nanometer-thicknesses intercalated with A+ (A = alkali or rare metals) cations, has garnered renewed interest owing to their potential to manifest q-1D metallic character, superconducting behavior, and predicted 1D Dirac Fermionic states. However, because these q-1D crystals tend to form micron-scale polycrystals, it has often been difficult to thoroughly investigate their structure and chemistry, as well as their sought-after emergent properties. In this study, we demonstrate the vapor-phase-assisted synthesis of sizeable and well-defined single crystals of a tellurium-based q-1D Chevrel-like crystal, In2–δMo6Te6, facilitating detailed investigations of its crystal structure and electronic properties. These crystals showed distinct signatures of structural 1D anisotropy and a persistent metallic character down to 1.7 K, despite the prevailing theory that q-1D metals undergo Peierls distortion. Intriguingly, we uniquely found from the combination of experimental single crystal refinements and first-principles calculations that the distinct structure, radius ratios, and composition intrinsically impose a thermodynamically favored fractional vacancy in roughly 1/8 of the cationic In sites. These results highlight the potential for chemical, structural, and physical property modulation in this class of metallic q-1D crystals that display suitable electronic states for next-generation functional devices.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• <i>(Invited)</i> Directed Crystallization of a Highly Emissive 1D Analog of a 2D Van Der Waals Crystal

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-07-11

  article1st authorCorresponding

  The precision control over the directional crystallization of low-dimensional solids enables access to 0D, 1D, and 2D nanoscale morphologies with physical properties that are drastically altered from its parent, bulk structure. However, these synthetic processes are often limited by the lack of directionality and anisotropy that can be used as a means to modulate crystallization dynamics, especially in non-thermodynamic conditions. In this talk, I will discuss our efforts in demonstrating how the quasi-1D sublattice of an anisotropic 2D van der Waals (vdW) crystal, like GaTe, can be harnessed to generate 1D nanowires in the absence of any catalyst or substrate modification. We demonstrate that precise control over the diffusion and deposition rates in our growth conditions yields ultrathin nanostructures that preserve the native, direct band gap monoclinic structure. The resulting nanostructures crystallized in either the thermodynamically favored nanosheet morphology or the kinetically favored nanowire morphology that reached thicknesses down to 10 ± 5 nm. We show using low-temperature photoluminescence studies confinement into ultrathin nanowires result in unusually enhanced photoluminescence with peaks possessing narrow linewidths in the technologically important near-IR region. These anisotropic 1D GaTe nanowires that display remarkably strong emissive behavior hold promise for use in densified and miniaturized optical and optoelectronic devices as stand-alone building blocks or as coupled with other 1D and 2D vdW materials.

  PublisherDOI

• Dimensionally resolved nanostructures of an atomically precise and optically active 1D van der Waals helix

  ChemRxiv · 2025-06-10 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Inorganic freestanding helices are rare and are sought-after for their unusual physical states endowed by chirality. To this end, III-VI-VII solids have emerged as a distinct class of ternary 1D van der Waals (vdW) crystals which bear atomically precise helical motifs. However, the physical understanding of the instrinsic and size-dependent properties of these materials is limited by the lack of synthetic strategies to directly access freestanding nanocrystals in high volumes. Using GaSI as a representative phase, we present a bottom-up strategy to grow high yields of ultrathin nanostructures based on this helical materials class. With this strategy, we were able to grow single crystals of 1D nanowires with thicknesess in the 10 to 100 nm range at high temperature conditions, as well as quasi-2D nanoribbons at lower temperatures. We establish the band gap of the nanowires in the UV region and demonstrate the persistence of nonlinear optical behavior originating from the non-centrosymmetric crystal structure of GaSI. Inspired by these results, we probe the effect of chirality on the electronic structure of hypothetical single chains of GaSI from first principles and show the pronounced handedness-dependent and chirality-driven spin polarization at the single helix regime.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Persistent metallicity and systematic vacancies in tellurium-based quasi-one-dimensional Chevrel-type single crystals

  Matter · 2025-12-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Bonding-imposed crystallization of 1D nanostructures based on a luminescent and anisotropic 2D van der Waals crystal

  ChemRxiv · 2025-05-07

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  Physical states in nanoscale solids are tied to their crystalline order, morphology, and size. However, deterministically accessing different nanocrystal morphologies from a single phase usually involves complex synthetic routes, catalysts, or multi-step lithographic techniques. Here, we demonstrate the catalyst-free synthesis of nanosheets and nanowires based on the luminescent 2D van der Waals (vdW) phase, GaTe, as a model phase that manifests atomic precision and a highly anisotropic quasi-1D substructure. We program the size and morphology of the resulting nanostructures by varying the relative rates of precursor deposition and diffusion, achieving dense, uniform, and widespread growth. Ultrathin nanowires resulting from this synthesis exhibit strikingly enhanced low-temperature luminescence with narrow near-infrared (NIR) emission bandwidths. These spectral characteristics arise from defect-bound states confined within a nanowire morphology that acts as a deep sub-wavelength optical cavity, making them suitable as optical emitters with small footprints either as stand-alone structures or coupled with other vdW crystals.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• CAREER: Anisotropy-Directed Synthesis of Optically Active 1D van der Waals Nanocrystals and Development of Multiscale Solid State Chemistry Educational Activities

  NSF · $417k · 2024–2029

Frequent coauthors

• Dmitri Leo Mesoza Cordova

  University of California, Irvine

  39 shared

• Ze‐Fan Yao

  Peking University

  18 shared

• Joshua E. Goldberger

  The Ohio State University

  17 shared

• Mircea Dincǎ

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology

  16 shared

• Grigorii Skorupskii

  Princeton University

  15 shared

• Nicholas D. Cultrara

  The Ohio State University

  15 shared

• Herdeline Ann M. Ardoña

  University of California, Irvine

  14 shared

• Christopher H. Hendon

  University of Oregon

  13 shared

Education

• PhD, Chemistry

  The Ohio State University

  2017

• BS, Chemistry

  University of the Philippines Diliman

  2011