Hybrid nanocomposites of 2D black phosphorus nanosheets encapsulated in PMMA polymer material: new platforms for advanced device fabrication

Black Phosphorus/Polymers: Status and Challenges

As a newly emerged mono-elemental nanomaterial, black phosphorus (BP) has been widely investigated for its fascinating physical properties, including layer-dependent tunable band gap (0.3-1.5 eV), high ON/OFF ratio (10⁴ ), high carrier mobility (10³ cm² V^-1 s^-1 ), excellent mechanical resistance, as well as special in-plane anisotropic optical, thermal, and vibrational characteristics. However, the instability caused by chemical degradation of its surface has posed a severe challenge for its further applications. A focused BP/polymer strategy has more recently been developed and implemented to hurdle this issue, so at present BP/polymers have been developed that exhibit enhanced stability, as well as outstanding optical, thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties. This has promoted researchers to further explore the potential applications of black phosphorous. In this review, the preparation processes and the key properties of BP/polymers are reviewed, followed by a detailed account of their diversified applications, including areas like optoelectronics, bio-medicine, and energy storage. Finally, in accordance with the current progress, the prospective challenges and future directions are highlighted and discussed.

Dispersion of Few-Layer Black Phosphorus in Binary Polymer Blend and Block Copolymer Matrices

Exfoliated black phosphorus (bP) embedded into a polymer is preserved from oxidation, is stable to air, light, and humidity, and can be further processed into devices without degrading its properties. Most of the examples of exfoliated bP/polymer composites involve a single polymer matrix. Herein, we report the preparation of biphasic polystyrene/poly(methyl methacrylate) (50/50 wt.%) composites containing few-layer black phosphorus (fl-bP) (0.6–1 wt.%) produced by sonicated-assisted liquid-phase exfoliation. Micro-Raman spectroscopy confirmed the integrity of fl-bP, while scanning electron microscopy evidenced the influence of fl-bP into the coalescence of polymeric phases. Furthermore, the topography of thin films analyzed by atomic force microscopy confirmed the effect of fl-bP into the PS dewetting, and the selective PS etching of thin films revealed the presence of fl-bP flakes. Finally, a block copolymer/fl-bP composite (1.2 wt.%) was prepared via in situ reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization by sonication-assisted exfoliation of bP into styrene. For this sample, ³¹P solid-state NMR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed an excellent preservation of bP structure.

Large-Area Oxidized Phosphorene Nanoflakes Obtained by Electrospray for Energy-Harvesting Applications

Bidimensional (2D) materials are nowadays being developed as outstanding candidates for electronic and optoelectronic components and devices. Targeted applications include sensing, energy conversion, and storage. Phosphorene is one of the most promising systems in this context, but its high reactivity under atmospheric conditions and its small-area/lab-scale deposition techniques have hampered the introduction of this material in real-world applications so far. However, phosphorene oxides in the form of low-dimensional structures (2D PO _x ) should behave as an electroresponsive material according to recent theoretical studies. In the present work, we introduce electrospraying for the deposition of stoichiometric and large-area 2D PO _x nanoflakes starting from a suspension of liquid-phase-exfoliated phosphorene. We obtained 2D PO _x nanostructures with a mean surface area two orders of magnitude larger than phosphorene structures obtained with standard mechanical and liquid exfoliation techniques. X-ray spectroscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy confirmed the P₂O₅-like crystallographic structure of the electrosprayed flakes. Finally, we experimentally demonstrated for the first time the electromechanical responsivity of the 2D P₂O₅ nanoflakes, through piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). This work sheds light on the possible implementation of phosphorus oxide-based 2D nanomaterials in the value chain of fabrication and engineering of devices, which might be easily scaled up for energy-harvesting/conversion applications.

Interfacial chemistry and electroactivity of black phosphorus decorated with transition metals

Black phosphorus (BP) exhibits a significant chemical reactivity toward transition metals at room temperature, forming metal–BP nanohybrids that have much higher catalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction with respect to the bare BP.

Recent advances in long-term stable black phosphorus transistors

Two-dimensional black phosphorus (BP) presents extensive exciting properties attributed to the high mobility and non-dangling bonds uniform surface with simultaneously obtained atomically ultrathin body and offer opportunities beyond the traditional materials. BP has thus emerged as a unique material in the post-silicon era for low-power electronics and photo-electronics. Tremendous efforts have been invested in fully developing the extreme potentiality of BP for future nanoelectronics. However, the accompanying challenges, especially the poor stability that originates from the active surface, in fabricating large-area BP transistors with comparable electrical performance to silicon electronics prevent their practical application. Herein, we review the progress of recent works that demonstrated the feasibility of enhancing the stability of BP electronics, and identify the opportunities and challenges in developing BP as atomically thin semiconductors for next-generation nanoelectronics.

Ohmic contact engineering in few-layer black phosphorus: approaching the quantum limit

Achieving good quality Ohmic contacts to van der Waals materials is a challenge, since at the interface between metal and van der Waals material different conditions can occur, ranging from the presence of a large energy barrier between the two materials to the metallization of the layered material below the contacts. In black phosphorus (bP), a further challenge is its high reactivity to oxygen and moisture, since the presence of uncontrolled oxidation can substantially change the behavior of the contacts. Here we study three of the most commonly used metals as contacts to bP, chromium, titanium, and nickel, and investigate their influence on contact resistance against the variability between different flakes and different samples. We investigate the gate dependence of the current-voltage characteristics of field-effect transistors fabricated with these metals on bP, observing good linearity in the accumulation regime for all metals investigated. Using the transfer length method, from an analysis of ten devices, both at room temperature and at low temperature, Ni results to provide the lowest contact resistance to bP and minimum scattering between different devices. Moreover, we observe that our best devices approach the quantum limit for contact resistance both for Ni and for Ti contacts.

Enhanced ambient stability of exfoliated black phosphorus by passivation with nickel nanoparticles

Since its discovery, the environmental instability of exfoliated black phosphorus (2D bP) has emerged as a challenge that hampers its wide application in chemistry, physics, and materials science. Many studies have been carried out to overcome this drawback. Here we show a relevant enhancement of ambient stability in few-layer bP decorated with nickel nanoparticles as compared to pristine bP. In detail, the behavior of the Ni-functionalized material exposed to ambient conditions in the dark is accurately studied by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Raman Spectroscopy, and high resolution x-ray Photoemission and Absorption Spectroscopy. These techniques provide a morphological and quantitative insight of the oxidation process taking place at the surface of the bP flakes. In the presence of Ni nanoparticles (NPs), the decay time of 2D bP to phosphorus oxides is more than three time slower compared to pristine bP, demonstrating an improved structural stability within 20 months of observation.

Noncovalent passivation of supported phosphorene for device applications: from morphology to electronic properties

Simulations suggest efficient routes for the non-covalent passivation of supported phosphorene with alkanes, highlighting strategies to prevent surface degradation phenomena.

Epitaxial multilayers of alkanes on two-dimensional black phosphorus as passivating and electrically insulating nanostructures

Mechanically exfoliated two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (bP) is epitaxially terminated by monolayers and multilayers of tetracosane, a linear alkane, to form a weakly interacting van der Waals heterostructure. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and computational modelling show that epitaxial domains of alkane chains are ordered in parallel lamellae along the principal crystalline axis of bP, and this order is extended over a few layers above the interface. Epitaxial alkane multilayers delay the oxidation of 2D bP in air by 18 hours, in comparison to 1 hour for bare 2D bP, and act as an electrical insulator, as demonstrated using electrostatic force microscopy. The presented heterostructure is a technologically relevant insulator-semiconductor model system that can open the way to the use of 2D bP in micro- and nanoelectronic, optoelectronic and photonic applications.

Noncovalent Functionalization of 2D Black Phosphorus with Fluorescent Boronic Derivatives of Pyrene for Probing and Modulating the Interaction with Molecular Oxygen

We studied the chemical-physical nature of interactions involved in the formation of adducts of two-dimensional black phosphorus (2D BP) with organoboron derivatives of a conjugated fluorescent molecule (pyrene). Time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy showed a stabilization effect of 2D BP on all derivatives, in particular for the adducts endowed with the boronic functionalities. Also, a stronger modulation of the fluorescence decay with oxygen was registered for one of the adducts compared to the corresponding organoboron derivative alone. Nuclear magnetic resonance experiments in suspension and density functional theory simulations confirmed that only noncovalent interactions were involved in the formation of the adducts. The energetic gain in their formation arises from the interaction of P atoms with both C atoms of the pyrene core and the B atom of the boronic functionalities, with a stronger contribution from the ester with respect to the acid one. The interaction results in the lowering of the band gap of 2D BP by around 0.10 eV. Furthermore, we demonstrated through Raman spectroscopy an increased stability toward oxidation in air of 2D BP in the adducts in the solid state (more than 6 months). The modification of the electronic structure at the interface between 2D BP and a conjugated organic molecule through noncovalent stabilizing interactions mediated by the B atom is particularly appealing in view of creating heterojunctions for optoelectronic, photonic, and chemical sensing applications.

A Perspective on Recent Advances in Phosphorene Functionalization and Its Applications in Devices

Phosphorene, the 2D material derived from black phosphorus, has recently attracted a lot of interest for its properties, suitable for applications in materials science. The physical features and the prominent chemical reactivity on its surface render this nanolayered substrate particularly promising for electrical and optoelectronic applications. In addition, being a new potential ligand for metals, it opens the way for a new role of the inorganic chemistry in the 2D world, with special reference to the field of catalysis. The aim of this review is to summarize the state of the art in this subject and to present our most recent results in the preparation, functionalization, and use of phosphorene and its decorated derivatives. We discuss several key points, which are currently under investigation: the synthesis, the characterization by theoretical calculations, the high pressure behavior of black phosphorus, as well as its decoration with nanoparticles and encapsulation in polymers. Finally, device fabrication and electrical transport measurements are overviewed on the basis of recent literature and the new results collected in our laboratories.

Growth of two-dimensional materials on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)

With its atomically smooth surface yet no dangling bond, chemical inertness and high temperature sustainability, the insulating hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can be an ideal substrate for two-dimensional (2D) material growth and device measurement. In this review, research progress on the chemical growth of 2D materials on h-BN has been summarized, such as chemical vapor deposition and molecular beam epitaxy of graphene and various transition metal dichalcogenides. Further, stacking of the as-grown 2D materials relative to h-BN, thermal expansion matching between the deposited materials and h-BN, electrical property of 2D materials on h-BN have been discussed in detail.