Monolayer Borophene Formation on Cu(111) Surface Triggered by â ¨1(1)over-bar0â © Step Edge

Li, Hao1,2; Yang, Jiangang1,2; Ma, Yaping1,2,3,4; Liu, Guowei5; Xu, Xin1,2,6; Huo, Zhe3; Chen, Junbo1,2,3; Li, Jing7; Zhang, Weifeng3,4; Wang, Kedong5; Chen, Lan8; Xiao, Xudong1,2

2023-10-01

10.1002/smll.202303502

SMALL   Impact Factor & Quartile

1613-6810

1613-6829

Borophene, a promising material with potential applications in electronics, energy storage, and sensors, is successfully grown as a monolayer on Ag(111), Cu(111), and Au(111) surfaces using molecular beam epitaxy. The growth of two-dimensional borophene on Ag(111) and Au(111) is proposed to occur via surface adsorption and boron segregation, respectively. However, the growth mode of borophene on Cu(111) remains unclear. To elucidate this, scanning tunneling microscopy in conjunction with theoretical calculations is used to study the phase transformation of boron nanostructures under post-annealing treatments. Results show that by elevating the substrate temperature, boron nanostructures undergo an evolution from amorphous boron to striped-phase borophene (eta = 1/6) adhering to the Cu < 1 (1) over bar0 > step edge, and finally to irregularly shaped beta-type borophene (eta = 5/36) either on the substrate surface or embedded in the topmost Cu layer. dI/dV spectra recorded near the borophene/Cu lateral interfaces indicate that the striped-phase borophene is a metastable phase, requiring more buckling and electron transfer to stabilize the crystal structure. These findings offer not only an in-depth comprehension of the beta-type borophene formation on Cu(111), but also hold potential for enabling borophene synthesis on weakly-binding semiconducting or insulating substrates with 1D active defects.

charge transfer gradual annealing monolayer borophene step edges striped-phase borophene

SCI

English

Corresponding

H.L and J.Y. contributed equally to this work. X.X. acknowledges the financial support from Start-up Fund of Wuhan University (Grant No. 1302/600460055). Y.M. acknowledges the financial support from Start-up Fund of Henan University (Grant No. CX3050A09800[1302/600460055] ; Start-up Fund of Wuhan University[CX3050A0980056] ; Start-up Fund of Henan University[2021A1515012034]

Chemistry ; Science & Technology - Other Topics ; Materials Science ; Physics

Chemistry, Multidisciplinary ; Chemistry, Physical ; Nanoscience & Nanotechnology ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Applied ; Physics, Condensed Matter

WOS:001084836700001

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH

Web of Science

1.Wuhan Univ, Sch Phys & Technol, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China
2.Wuhan Univ, Key Lab Artificial Micro & Nanostruct, Minist Educ, Wuhan 430072, Peoples R China
3.Henan Univ, Sch Future Technol, Henan Key Lab Photovolta Mat, Zhengzhou 450046, Peoples R China
4.Henan Acad Sci, Inst Quantum Mat & Phys, Zhengzhou 450046, Peoples R China
5.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Phys, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
6.Sun Yat Sen Univ, Sch Elect & Informat Technol, Guangdong Prov Key Lab Display Mat & Technol, State Key Lab Optoelect Mat & Technol, Guangzhou 510275, Peoples R China
7.Beihang Univ, Sch Chem, Key Lab Bioinspired Smart Interfacial Sci & Techno, Minist Educ, Beijing 100191, Peoples R China
8.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Phys, Beijing 100190, Peoples R China

Li, Hao,Yang, Jiangang,Ma, Yaping,et al. Monolayer Borophene Formation on Cu(111) Surface Triggered by â ¨1(1)over-bar0â © Step Edge[J]. SMALL,2023.

Li, Hao.,Yang, Jiangang.,Ma, Yaping.,Liu, Guowei.,Xu, Xin.,...&Xiao, Xudong.(2023).Monolayer Borophene Formation on Cu(111) Surface Triggered by â ¨1(1)over-bar0â © Step Edge.SMALL.

Li, Hao,et al."Monolayer Borophene Formation on Cu(111) Surface Triggered by â ¨1(1)over-bar0â © Step Edge".SMALL (2023).