Two-dimensional boron: structures, properties and applications (original) (raw)
* Corresponding authors
a State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, and Key Laboratory for Intelligent Nano Materials and Devices of Ministry of Education, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
b Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
c Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
E-mail: biy@rice.edu
Tel: +1 713-348-3572
Abstract
Situated between metals and non-metals in the periodic table, boron is one of the most chemically versatile elements, forming at least sixteen bulk polymorphs composed of interlinked boron polyhedra. In low-dimensionality, boron chemistry remains or becomes even more intriguing since boron clusters with several to tens of atoms favor planar or cage-like structures, which are similar to their carbon counterparts in terms of conformation and electronic structure. The similarity between boron and carbon has raised a question of whether there exists stable two-dimensional (2D) boron, as a conceptual precursor, from which other boron nanostructures may be built. Here, we review the current theoretical and experimental progress in realizing boron atomic layers. Starting by describing a decade-long effort towards understanding the size-dependent structures of boron clusters, we present how theory plays a role in extrapolating boron clusters into 2D form, from a freestanding state to that on substrates, as well as in exploring practical routes for their synthesis that recently culminated in experimental realization. While 2D boron has been revealed to have unusual mechanical, electronic and chemical properties, materializing its potential in practical applications remains largely impeded by lack of routes towards transfer from substrates and controlled synthesis of quality samples.
You have access to this article
Please wait while we load your content... Something went wrong. Try again?
Associated articles
Article information
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CS00261K
Article type
Review Article
Submitted
11 Apr 2017
First published
31 Oct 2017
Download Citation
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017,46, 6746-6763
Permissions
Two-dimensional boron: structures, properties and applications
Z. Zhang, E. S. Penev and B. I. Yakobson,Chem. Soc. Rev., 2017, 46, 6746DOI: 10.1039/C7CS00261K
To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.
If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.
If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.
Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.