Once Michio Kaku quoted, “Graphene consists of a single molecular layer of carbon atoms tightly bonded to form an ultra-thin, ultra-durable sheet. It is almost transparent and weighs practically nothing, yet is the toughest material known to science – two hundred times stronger than steel and stronger even than diamonds. In principle, you could balance an elephant on a pencil and then place the pencil point on a sheet of graphene without breaking or tearing it. As a bonus, graphene also conducts electricity”. A few years back, graphene was the wonder material, but now borophene is the new wonder material that has triggered interest among material scientists.
In 2015, Researchers synthesized two-dimensional Ag substrates under ultrahigh vacuum. Research on borophene has grown fast in various fields. Borophene has 4 phases.
Experimental synthesis of the four borophenes boosts fundamental research and it enlightens the practical application in the fabrication of nanodevices and is useful in the energy sector. Borophenes are generally stronger than graphene and exhibit in-plane elasticity with a good amount of flexibility in some configurations.
At the macroscopic level, allotropes of carbon and boron are different, but their atomic clusters are showing quite similarities. Anyways borophene thin films are showing more conductance than graphene and it could potentially revolutionize sensors, photovoltaics, etc. Now it is renowned for its mechanical strength, less mass density, and flexibility. Borophene atoms are arranged in a various mixture of hexagons and triangles so that they can be tuned finely according to the application. But borophene has one limitation. It oxidizes quickly if it is removed from the vacuum chamber. This limited its practical use outside the lab. Recently at Northwestern University, Mark Hersam and his collaborators deposited atomic hydrogen on the surface of borophene and created chemically stable Borophane. They have reported this advance in a paper in the journal Science.
Coated form of stable borophene outside the vacuum can be yielded by heating borophane, which could be done after it has been coated with an inert compound to permanently seal it off from the air. Ultrathin form of Boron has been created by this work which is more robust and easy to handle. This material is opening the doors to wide applications.
Image Credit: Mark Hersam/Northwestern University
Both borophene and borophane are flexible, strong, and good electrical conductors, making them potentially functional in display-screen technology. Now the newly developed borophane can be taken out into the research studies where researchers can explore its potential application. “Material synthesis is a bit like baking. Once you know the recipe, it’s not hard to replicate. However, if your recipe is just a little off, then the final product can flop terribly. By sharing the optimal recipe for borophane with the world, we anticipate that its use will rapidly proliferate,” said Mark Hersam, professor of material science and engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering.
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