Boron-Based Low-Dimensional Nanoclusters and Nanomaterials

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, researchers have achieved significant progress in predicting, synthesizing and characterizing various forms of boron nanomaterials, ranging from zero-dimensional nanoclusters to two-dimensional borophene. These materials exhibit distinct bonding configurations due to their low dimensionality, contrasting with the icosahedral structures found in bulk boron crystals. This structural diversity leads to intriguing physical and chemical properties, driving interest in boron nanomaterials within the materials science community.

Of particular note is the recent experimental realization of borophene, a single-atom two-dimensional layer of boron. This breakthrough was achieved by depositing evaporated boron atoms onto Ag(111) surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions (Science. 2015, 350, 1513–1516; Nat Chem. 2016, 8, 563–568; Nat Chem. 2016, 8, 525–527). Borophene's emergence has spurred extensive theoretical and experimental investigations, including a wide range of applications, such as in superconductors, hydrogen storage, batteries, catalysts and electronics and for drug deliveries.

This Special Issue aims to comprehensively cover the theoretical design, experimental synthesis, characterization and understanding of the unique physical and chemical properties of boron-based nanoclusters and nanomaterials. Through this exploration, we seek to further elucidate the potential of boron nanomaterials for diverse applications in materials science and beyond.

References

• Andrew J. Mannix et al. Synthesis of borophenes: Anisotropic, two-dimensional boron polymorphs. Science 350, 1513-1516 (2015). DOI:10.1126/science.aad1080.
• Feng, B., Zhang, J., Zhong, Q. et al. Experimental realization of two-dimensional boron sheets. Nature Chem 8, 563–568 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2491.
• Zhang, Z., Penev, E. & Yakobson, B. Polyphony in B flat. Nature Chem 8, 525–527 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2521.

Dr. Wanlu Li
Guest Editor

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• boron
• low-dimension
• nanoclusters
• nanomaterials
• prediction and synthesis