Novel Synthesis of the Nanomaterial Borophene
- Technology Benefits
- Firstisolation of synthetic boropheneUniqueanisotropic properties, different than any other boron allotrope knownStraightforwardgrowth with effective evaporation of non-toxic boron onto silver in ultrahighvacuumBoropheneencapsulation through facile evaporation of immiscible silicon
- Detailed Technology Description
- A novel method of synthesizing crystalline two-dimensional(2D) boron sheets called borophene exhibiting high performance of a highlyanisotropic 2D metal. #nanotechnology#materials #fabrication #manufacturing #chemical #methods
- *Abstract
-
Two-dimensional nanomaterials have properties that canbe exploited in high-performance optoelectronic, photovoltaic, sensing, andlogic applications. While boron andcarbon exhibit similar cluster chemistry, synthesis of boron allotropes is lesscommon due to its high cost and use of toxic precursors. Northwestern researchers have invented anovel method to create an atomically-thin, two-dimensional boron allotrope,called borophene, under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions. While bulk boron is a poor semiconductor, theirmethod synthesizes borophene as an anisotropic metal with in-plane theoreticalstrength exceeding graphene, the strongest material known. The material properties are likely tunable bysubsequent chemistry, which could lead to a family of borophene-basedelectronic materials. This discovery could have a significant impact on electronics,optoelectronics, and sensor markets.
Figure 1.Striped-phase atomic-scale structure. Insetshows rectangular lattice with overlaid lattice vectors
- *Inventors
- Mark Hersam*Joshua WoodAndrew MannixBrian KiralyBrandon FisherNathan Guisinger
- *Publications
- J. Mannix et al., (2015)Synthesis of borophenes: Anisotropic, two-dimensional boron polymorphs. Science.350: 1513.
- Country/Region
- USA
