A complex interplay between the crystal structure and electron behavior within borophene renders this material an intriguing 2D system with many of its electronic properties still undiscovered. Experimental insight into those properties is additionally hampered by the limited capabilities of the established synthesis methods, which in turn inhibits the realization of potential borophene applications.
In this multi-method study, photoemission spectroscopies and scanning probe techniques complemented by theoretical calculations have been used to investigate the electronic characteristics of a high-coverage, single-layer borophene on an Ir(111) substrate. Our results show that the binding of borophene to Ir(111) exhibits pronounced one-dimensional modulation and transforms borophene into a nano-grating. The scattering of photoelectrons from this structural grating gives rise to the replication of electronic bands.
Additionally, the binding modulation is reflected in the chemical reactivity of borophene and gives rise to its inhomogeneous aging effect. Such aging is easily reset by dissolving boron atoms in iridium at high temperature followed by their reassembly into a fresh, atomically-thin borophene mesh.
Besides proving the electron-grating capabilities of the boron monolayer, our data provides comprehensive insight into the electronic properties of epitaxial borophene, which is vital for further examination of other boron systems of reduced dimensionality.
This study discusses borophene, a two-dimensional (2D) material made of boron, which is fascinating due to its complex structure and the behavior of electrons within it. Many of its electronic properties are still a mystery, and current methods of synthesizing borophene are not advanced enough to fully explore its potential uses.
In this study, researchers used a combination of techniques, including photoemission spectroscopy (which measures the energy of electrons emitted from a material when hit by light) and scanning probe techniques (which involve using a physical probe to scan and study the material’s surface), along with theoretical calculations, to examine the electronic characteristics of borophene when it is layered on top of an iridium (Ir) substrate. They found that when borophene is attached to iridium, it forms a nano-grating—a miniature grate with regular patterns. This structure affects how electrons are emitted from the material, leading to the duplication of electronic bands, which are ranges of energy that electrons can have within a material.
Moreover, the way borophene binds to the iridium influences its chemical reactivity and causes an inhomogeneous aging effect—meaning the material doesn’t age uniformly. Interestingly, this aging can be reversed by heating the material to dissolve the boron atoms into the iridium and then letting them form a new layer of borophene.
The study not only demonstrates the ability of borophene to act as a grating for electrons but also provides detailed insights into its electronic properties when grown on iridium. This information is crucial for further research into borophene and other similar boron-based materials, which could be important for developing new electronic devices.
