We predict that specific group-IV elements and IV-IV, III-V, and II-VI compounds can form stable, freestanding two-dimensional (2D) monolayers consisting of octagon, hexagon, and square rings (ohs), in which the threefold coordination of atoms is preserved to allow sp 2 -type hybridization. These monolayers can also construct bilayers, multilayers, three-dimensional (3D) layered van der Waals solids, and 3D crystals with strong vertical bonds between layers as well as quasi-one-dimensional nanotubes and nanoribbons with diverse edge geometries. All these ohs structures can constitute a large class of 2D materials ranging from good metals to wide bandgap semiconductors and display physical and chemical properties rather different from those of their counterparts in the hexagonal (honeycomb) network. The metallic state of freestanding 2D C, Si, and Ge ohs monolayers and 3D C ohs bulk contrast, respectively, with graphene, silicene, germanene, and graphite.
When covered by gadolinium (Gd) atoms, silicene, a freestanding monolayer of Si atoms in a honeycomb network, remains stable above the room temperature and becomes a two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic semiconductor, despite the antiferromagnetic ground state of three-dimensional bulk GdSi 2 crystal. In thin GdSi 2 multilayers, even if magnetic moments are ordered parallel in the same Gd atomic planes, they are antiparallel between nearest Gd planes; hence they exhibit a ferrimagnetic behavior. In contrast, a freestanding Gd 2 Si 2 monolayer constructed by covering silicene from both sides by Gd atoms is a stable antiferromagnetic metal due to the mirror symmetry. While multilayers covered by Gd from both sides having an odd number of Gd planes have a ferrimagneticlike ground state, even-numbered ones have antiferromagnetic ground state, but none of them is ferromagnetic. Silicon atoms intervening between Gd planes are responsible for these intriguing magnetic orders conforming with the recent experiments performed on Si(111) surface. Additionally, the magnetic states of these 2D gadolinium disilicide monolayers can be monitored by applied tensile strain and by the coverage/decoration of Gd. These predictions obtained by using first-principles, spin-polarized, density functional theory calculations combined with Monte Carlo simulations herald that C, B, Si, Ge, Sn, and their compounds functionalized by rare-earth atoms can lead to novel nanostructures in 2D spintronics.
We investigated the effects of vacancy, void, substitutional impurity, isolated adsorption of selected adatoms, and their patterned coverage on the physical and chemical properties of metallic carbon and silicon monolayers in a biphenylene network. These monolayers can acquire diverse electronic and magnetic properties to become more functional depending on the repeating symmetry, size of the point defects, and on the type of adsorbed adatoms. While a carbon monovacancy attains a local magnetic moment, its void can display closed edge states with interesting physical effects. Adsorbed light-transition or rare-earth metal atoms attribute magnetism to these monolayers. The opening of a gap in the metallic density of states, which depends on the pattern and density of adsorbed hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon adatoms, can be used as the band gap engineering of these two-dimensional materials. The energy barriers against the passage of oxygen atoms through the centers of hexagon and octagon rings are investigated, and the coating of the active surfaces with carbon monolayers is exploited as a means of protection against oxidation. We showed that the repulsive forces exerting even at distant separations between two parallel, hydrogenated carbon monolayers in a biphenylene network can lead to the superlow friction features in their sliding motion. All these results obtained from the calculations using the density functional theory herald critical applications.
A metallic carbon monolayer in the biphenylene network (specified as C ohs) becomes an insulator upon hydrogenation (specified as CH ohs). Patterned dehydrogenation of this CH ohs can offer a variety of intriguing functionalities. Composite structures constituted by alternating stripes of C and CH ohs with different repeat periodicity and chirality display topological properties and can form heterostructures with a tunable band-lineup or Schottky barrier height. Alternating arrangements of these stripes of finite size enable one to also construct double barrier resonant tunneling structures and 2D, lateral nanocapacitors with high gravimetric capacitance for an efficient energy storage device. By controlled removal of H atom from a specific site or dehydrogenation of an extended zone, one can achieve antidoping or construct 0D quantum structures like antidots, antirings/loops, and supercrystals, the energy level spacing of which can be controlled with their geometry and size for optoelectronic applications. Conversely, all these device functions can be acquired also by controlled hydrogenation of a bare C ohs monolayer. Since all these processes are applied to a monolayer, the commensurability of electronically different materials is assured. These features pertain not only to CH ohs but also to fully hydrogenated Si ohs.
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