Synthesis of Atomically Thin Boron Films on Copper Foils

A theoretical insight into a feasible strategy for the fabrication of borophane

This theoretical study demonstrates a feasible strategy for the fabrication of borophane through the mechanism of hydrogen decomposition on charged borophene.

Two dimensional boron nanosheets: synthesis, properties and applications

As a material generating increasing interest, boron nanosheets have been reviewed from the perspective of their synthesis, properties, application and possible research directions.

A two-dimensional TiB4 monolayer exhibits planar octacoordinate Ti

At present, the concept of planar hypercoordination in chemistry meets the fast development of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials, leading to considerable interest in searching for 2D materials with planar hypercoordinate atoms. In this work, by means of the swarm-intelligence structure search method and first-principles calculations, we predict a hitherto unknown 2D TiB₄ monolayer with a planar octacoordinate Ti moiety, in which each Ti atom binds to eight B atoms with equal distances in a perfect plane, and has the highest coordination of Ti known for 2D materials thus far. Systematic ab initio calculations demonstrate the superior thermodynamic and dynamic stabilities of the predicted TiB₄ monolayer, indicating the high feasibility for experimental synthesis. The stabilization of this perfect planar structure originates from the geometric fit between the atomic radius of Ti and the size of the 8-membered B ring, as well as the electron transfer from Ti to B atoms which compensates the electron deficiency of the full sp² hybridized B network. Motivated by the unforeseen geometry of the TiB₄ monolayer, a series of other 2D transition metal borides (TMB₄, TM = V, Cr, Mo, W and Os) with quasi-planar octacoordinate TM atoms are further designed and discussed. The present work provides a useful roadmap for the discovery of 2D hypercoordinate materials.

Ultrathin two-dimensional porous organic nanosheets with molecular rotors for chemical sensing

Molecular rotors have played an important role in recent materials chemistry. Although several studies on functional materials containing molecular rotors have been reported for fluorescence sensing, this concept has yet to be realized in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Here we report the preparation of all-carbon, π-conjugated 2D porous organic nanosheets, named NUS-24, which contain flexible tetraphenylethylene (TPE) units as the molecular rotors. NUS-24 nanosheets exhibit high stability, large lateral size, and ultrathin thickness (2-5 nm). The dynamic TPE rotors exposed on the surface of NUS-24 nanosheets can be restricted in the aggregated state with different water fractions, which is reminiscent of the aggregation-induced emission mechanism, thereby leading to the size-selective turn-on fluorescence by volatile organic compounds. Significantly, the ultrathin 2D nanosheets and its composite membranes show much higher sensitivity and selectivity toward Fe³⁺ ions and nitro-containing compounds sensing, suggesting their potential applications in explosive detection and environmental monitoring.

Recent progress in boron nanomaterials

Various types of zero, one, and two-dimensional boron nanomaterials such as nanoclusters, nanowires, nanotubes, nanobelts, nanoribbons, nanosheets, and monolayer crystalline sheets named borophene have been experimentally synthesized and identified in the last 20 years. Owing to their low dimensionality, boron nanomaterials have different bonding configurations from those of three-dimensional bulk boron crystals composed of icosahedra or icosahedral fragments. The resulting intriguing physical and chemical properties of boron nanomaterials are fascinating from the viewpoint of material science. Moreover, the wide variety of boron nanomaterials themselves could be the building blocks for combining with other existing nanomaterials, molecules, atoms, and/or ions to design and create materials with new functionalities and properties. Here, the progress of the boron nanomaterials is reviewed and perspectives and future directions are described.

Two-Dimensional Stoichiometric Boron Oxides as a Versatile Platform for Electronic Structure Engineering

Oxides of two-dimensional (2D) atomic crystals have been widely studied due to their unique properties. In most 2D oxides, oxygen acts as a functional group, which makes it difficult to control the degree of oxidation. Because borophene is an electron-deficient system, it is expected that oxygen will be intrinsically incorporated into the basal plane of borophene, forming stoichiometric 2D boron oxide (BO) structures. By using first-principles global optimization, we systematically explore structures and properties of 2D BO systems with well-defined degrees of oxidation. Stable B-O-B and OB₃ tetrahedron structure motifs are identified in these structures. Interesting properties, such as strong linear dichroism, Dirac node-line (DNL) semimetallicity, and negative differential resistance, have been predicted for these systems. Our results demonstrate that 2D BO represents a versatile platform for electronic structure engineering via tuning the stoichiometric degree of oxidation, which leads to various technological applications.

Boron Triangular Kagome Lattice with Half-Metallic Ferromagnetism

Based on the first-principles evolutionary materials design, we report a stable boron Kagome lattice composed of triangles in triangles on a two-dimensional sheet. The Kagome lattice can be synthesized on a silver substrate, with selecting Mg atoms as guest atoms. While the isolated Kagome lattice is slightly twisted without strain, it turns into an ideal triangular Kagome lattice under tensile strain. In the triangular Kagome lattice, we find the exotic electronic properties, such as topologically non-trivial flat band near the Fermi energy and half-metallic ferromagnetism, and predict the quantum anomalous Hall effect in the presence of spin-orbit coupling.

Antimonene Oxides: Emerging Tunable Direct Bandgap Semiconductor and Novel Topological Insulator

Highly stable antimonene, as the cousin of phosphorene from group-VA, has opened up exciting realms in the two-dimensional (2D) materials family. However, pristine antimonene is an indirect band gap semiconductor, which greatly restricts its applications for optoelectronics devices. Identifying suitable materials, both responsive to incident photons and efficient for carrier transfer, is urgently needed for ultrathin devices. Herein, by means of first-principles computations we found that it is rather feasible to realize a new class of 2D materials with a direct bandgap and high carrier mobility, namely antimonene oxides with different content of oxygen. Moreover, these tunable direct bandgaps cover a wide range from 0 to 2.28 eV, which are crucial for solar cell and photodetector applications. Especially, the antimonene oxide (18Sb-18O) is a 2D topological insulator with a sizable global bandgap of 177 meV, which has a nontrivial Z₂ topological invariant in the bulk and the topological states on the edge. Our findings not only introduce new vitality into 2D group-VA materials family and enrich available candidate materials in this field but also highlight the potential of these 2D semiconductors as appealing ultrathin materials for future flexible electronics and optoelectronics devices.

Rediscovering the Crystal Chemistry of Borides

For decades, borides have been primarily studied as crystallographic oddities. With such a wide variety of structures (a quick survey of the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database counts 1253 entries for binary boron compounds!), it is surprising that the applications of borides have been quite limited despite a great deal of fundamental research. If anything, the rich crystal chemistry found in borides could well provide the right tool for almost any application. The interplay between metals and the boron results in even more varied material's properties, many of which can be tuned via chemistry. Thus, the aim of this review is to reintroduce to the scientific community the developments in boride crystal chemistry over the past 60 years. We tie structures to material properties, and furthermore, elaborate on convenient synthetic routes toward preparing borides.

Molecular dynamics simulations for mechanical properties of borophene: parameterization of valence force field model and Stillinger-Weber potential

While most existing theoretical studies on the borophene are based on first-principles calculations, the present work presents molecular dynamics simulations for the lattice dynamical and mechanical properties in borophene. The obtained mechanical quantities are in good agreement with previous first-principles calculations. The key ingredients for these molecular dynamics simulations are the two efficient empirical potentials developed in the present work for the interaction of borophene with low-energy triangular structure. The first one is the valence force field model, which is developed with the assistance of the phonon dispersion of borophene. The valence force field model is a linear potential, so it is rather efficient for the calculation of linear quantities in borophene. The second one is the Stillinger-Weber potential, whose parameters are derived based on the valence force field model. The Stillinger-Weber potential is applicable in molecular dynamics simulations of nonlinear physical or mechanical quantities in borophene.

Recent Advances in Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

Since the discovery of mechanically exfoliated graphene in 2004, research on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials has grown exponentially in the fields of condensed matter physics, material science, chemistry, and nanotechnology. Highlighting their compelling physical, chemical, electronic, and optical properties, as well as their various potential applications, in this Review, we summarize the state-of-art progress on the ultrathin 2D nanomaterials with a particular emphasis on their recent advances. First, we introduce the unique advances on ultrathin 2D nanomaterials, followed by the description of their composition and crystal structures. The assortments of their synthetic methods are then summarized, including insights on their advantages and limitations, alongside some recommendations on suitable characterization techniques. We also discuss in detail the utilization of these ultrathin 2D nanomaterials for wide ranges of potential applications among the electronics/optoelectronics, electrocatalysis, batteries, supercapacitors, solar cells, photocatalysis, and sensing platforms. Finally, the challenges and outlooks in this promising field are featured on the basis of its current development.

Prediction of Two-Dimensional Phase of Boron with Anisotropic Electric Conductivity

Two-dimensional (2D) phases of boron are rare and unique. Here we report a new 2D all-boron phase (named the π phase) that can be grown on a W(110) surface. The π phase, composed of four-membered rings and six-membered rings filled with an additional B atom, is predicted to be the most stable on this support. It is characterized by an outstanding stability upon exfoliation off of the W surface, and unusual electronic properties. The chemical bonding analysis reveals the metallic nature of this material, which can be attributed to the multicentered π-bonds. Importantly, the calculated conductivity tensor is anisotropic, showing larger conductivity in the direction of the sheet that is in-line with the conjugated π-bonds, and diminished in the direction where the π-subsystems are connected by single σ-bonds. The π-phase can be viewed as an ultrastable web of aligned conducting boron wires, possibly of interest to applications in electronic devices.

Chiral NH-Controlled Supramolecular Metallacycles

Chiral NH functionalities-based discrimination is a key feature of Nature's chemical armory, yet selective binding of biologically active molecules in synthetic systems with high enantioselectivity poses significant challenges. Here we report the assembly of three chiral fluorescent Zn₆L₆ metallacycles from pyridyl-functionalized Zn(salalen) or Zn(salen) complexes. Each of these metallacycles has a nanoscale hydrophobic cavity decorated with six, three, or zero chiral NH functionalities and packs into a three-dimensional supramolecular porous framework. The binding affinity and enantioselectivity of the metallacycles toward α-hydroxycarboxylic acids, amino acids, small molecule pharamaceuticals (l-dopa, d-penicillamine), and chiral amines increase with the number of chiral NH moieties in the cyclic structure. From single-crystal X-ray diffraction, molecular simulations, and quantum chemical calculations, the chiral recognition and discrimination are attributed to the specific binding of enantiomers in the chiral pockets of the metallacycles. The parent metallacycles are fluorescent with the intensity of emission being linearly related to the enantiomeric composition of the chiral biorelevant guests, which allow them to be utilized in chiral sensing. The fact that manipulation of chiral NH functionalities in metallacycles can control the enantiorecognition of biomolecular complexes would facilitate the design of more effective supramolecular assemblies for enantioselective processes.

Elemental two-dimensional nanosheets beyond graphene

The recent progress of elemental two-dimensional nanosheets, beyond graphene, has been summarized with the focus on their preparation and applications.

Chelation assisted exfoliation of layered borides towards synthesizing boron based nanosheets

Selective extraction of inter-layer metal atoms by the chelating agent delaminates layered metal borides into boron based nanosheets.

Auxetic and Ferroelastic Borophane: A Novel 2D Material with Negative Possion's Ratio and Switchable Dirac Transport Channels

Recently synthesized atomically thin boron sheets (that is, borophene) provide a fascinating template for new material property discovery. Here, we report findings of an extraordinary combination of unusual mechanical and electronic properties in hydrogenated borophene, known as borophane, from first-principles calculations. This novel 2D material has been shown to exhibit robust Dirac transport physics. Our study unveils that borophane is auxetic with a surprising negative Poisson's ratio stemming from its unique puckered triangle hinge structure and the associated hinge dihedral angle variation under a tensile strain in the armchair direction. Our results also identify borophane to be ferroelastic with a stress-driven 90° lattice rotation in the boron layer, accompanied by a remarkable orientation switch of the anisotropic Dirac transport channels. These outstanding strain-engineered properties make borophane a highly versatile and promising 2D material for innovative applications in microelectromechanical and nanoelectronic devices.

High-mobility anisotropic transport in few-layer γ-B28 films

Recent reports of successful synthesis of atomically thin boron films have raised great prospects of discovering novel electronic and transport properties in a new type of 2D materials. Here we show by first-principles calculations that monolayer and bilayer γ-B₂₈ films are intrinsically metallic while the thicker films possess intriguing electronic states that exhibit moderate to large bandgaps in all the interior layers but are nearly gapless at the surface. Remarkably, these surface electronic states are tunable by strain, allowing the outermost layer to transition between a semimetal and a narrow-gap semiconductor. Moreover, these surface states almost exclusively occupy a wide energy range around the Fermi level, thus dominating the electronic transport in γ-B₂₈ films. The dispersions of the surface electronic bands are direction sensitive, and with hole injection producing anisotropic and very high carrier mobility up to 104 cm² V^-1 s^-1. Surprisingly, surface passivation can open a sizable bandgap, which offers an additional avenue for effective band engineering and explains the experimental observation of a large bandgap in the synthesized film. These results make few-layer γ-B₂₈ films desirable candidate materials for catalysis and electronics applications.

Two-dimensional antimonene single crystals grown by van der Waals epitaxy

Unlike the unstable black phosphorous, another two-dimensional group-VA material, antimonene, was recently predicted to exhibit good stability and remarkable physical properties. However, the synthesis of high-quality monolayer or few-layer antimonenes, sparsely reported, has greatly hindered the development of this new field. Here, we report the van der Waals epitaxy growth of few-layer antimonene monocrystalline polygons, their atomical microstructure and stability in ambient condition. The high-quality, few-layer antimonene monocrystalline polygons can be synthesized on various substrates, including flexible ones, via van der Waals epitaxy growth. Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy reveal that the obtained antimonene polygons have buckled rhombohedral atomic structure, consistent with the theoretically predicted most stable β-phase allotrope. The very high stability of antimonenes was observed after aging in air for 30 days. First-principle and molecular dynamics simulation results confirmed that compared with phosphorene, antimonene is less likely to be oxidized and possesses higher thermodynamic stability in oxygen atmosphere at room temperature. Moreover, antimonene polygons show high electrical conductivity up to 10⁴ S m⁻¹ and good optical transparency in the visible light range, promising in transparent conductive electrode applications.

Several two-dimensional materials have been synthesized to date, yet elemental materials, consisting of individual atomic species, are still scarce. Here, the authors synthesize few-layer, monocrystalline polygons of antimonene via van der Waals epitaxy growth.

Mechanical properties of borophene films: a reactive molecular dynamics investigation

The most recent experimental advances could provide ways for the fabrication of several atomic thick and planar forms of boron atoms. For the first time, we explore the mechanical properties of five types of boron films with various vacancy ratios ranging from 0.1-0.15, using molecular dynamics simulations with ReaxFF force field. It is found that the Young's modulus and tensile strength decrease with increasing the temperature. We found that boron sheets exhibit an anisotropic mechanical response due to the different arrangement of atoms along the armchair and zigzag directions. At room temperature, 2D Young's modulus and fracture stress of these five sheets appear in the range 63-136 N m(-1) and 12-19 N m(-1), respectively. In addition, the strains at tensile strength are in the ranges of 9%-14%, 11%-19%, and 10%-16% at 1, 300, and 600 K, respectively. This investigation not only reveals the remarkable stiffness of 2D boron, but establishes relations between the mechanical properties of the boron sheets to the loading direction, temperature and atomic structures.

Superhigh moduli and tension-induced phase transition of monolayer gamma-boron at finite temperatures

Two dimensional (2D) gamma-boron (γ-B₂₈) thin films have been firstly reported by the experiments of the chemical vapor deposition in the latest study. However, their mechanical properties are still not clear. Here we predict the superhigh moduli (785 ± 42 GPa at 300 K) and the tension-induced phase transition of monolayer γ-B₂₈ along a zigzag direction for large deformations at finite temperatures using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The new phase can be kept stable after unloading process at these temperatures. The predicted mechanical properties are reasonable when compared with our results from density functional theory. This study provides physical insights into the origins of the new phase transition of monolayer γ-B₂₈ at finite temperatures.

Fast and large-area growth of uniform MoS2 monolayers on molybdenum foils

A controllable synthesis of two-dimensional crystal monolayers in a large area is a prerequisite for potential applications, but the growth of transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers in a large area with spatial homogeneity remains a great challenge. Here we report a novel and efficient method to fabricate large-scale MoS2 monolayers by direct sulfurization of pre-annealed molybdenum foil surfaces with large grain boundaries of more than 50 μm in size at elevated temperatures. Continuous MoS2 monolayers can be formed uniformly by sulfurizing the Mo foils in sulfur vapor at 600 °C within 1 min. At a lower temperature even down to 500 °C, uniform MoS2 monolayers can still be obtained but in a much longer sulfurizing duration. It is demonstrated that the formed monolayers can be nondestructively transferred onto arbitrary substrates by removing the Mo foil using diluted ferric chloride solution and can be successfully fabricated into photodetectors. The results show a novel avenue to efficiently fabricate two-dimensional crystals in a large area in a highly controllable way and should have great potential for the development of large-scale applications of two-dimensional crystals in electrophotonic systems.