Liquid crystalline 2D borophene oxide for inorganic optical devices.

Kambe, Tetsuya; Imaoka, Shotaro; Shimizu, Misa; Hosono, Reina; Yan, Dongwan; Taya, Hinayo; Katakura, Masahiro; Nakamura, Hirona et al. · Nat Commun · 2022

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Borophene has been recently proposed as a next-generation two-dimensional material with promising electronic and optical properties. However, its instability has thus far limited its large-scale applications. Here, we investigate a liquid-state borophene analogue with an ordered layer structure derived from two-dimensional borophene oxide. The material structure, phase transition features and basic properties are revealed by using X-ray analysis, optical and electron microscopy, and thermal characterization. The obtained liquid crystal exhibits high thermal stability at temperatures up to 350 °C and an optical switching behaviour driven by a low voltage of 1 V.