Elemental Analogues of Graphene: Silicene, Germanene, Stanene, and Phosphorene

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2015-02, Vol.11 (6), p.640-652
• Main Authors: Balendhran, Sivacarendran, Walia, Sumeet, Nili, Hussein, Sriram, Sharath, Bhaskaran, Madhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electronics; Exploration; germanene; Graphene; graphene analogues; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Optoelectronics; Oxides; phosphorene; silicene; Silicon; Synthesis; Two dimensional
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201402041

The fascinating electronic and optoelectronic properties of free‐standing graphene has led to the exploration of alternative two‐dimensional materials that can be easily integrated with current generation of electronic technologies. In contrast to 2D oxide and dichalcogenides, elemental 2D analogues of graphene, which include monolayer silicon (silicene), are fast emerging as promising alternatives, with predictions of high degree of integration with existing technologies. This article reviews this emerging class of 2D elemental materials – silicene, germanene, stanene, and phosphorene – with emphasis on fundamental properties and synthesis techniques. The need for further investigations to establish controlled synthesis techniques and the viability of such elemental 2D materials is highlighted. Future prospects harnessing the ability to manipulate the electronic structure of these materials for nano‐ and opto‐electronic applications are identified. A wide range of two‐dimensional (2D) materials are gaining increased attention owing to their unique properties that can be exploited for a plethora of applications. This article reviews the class of 2D elemental materials – silicene, germanene, stanene, and phosphorene – with emphasis on fundamental properties, synthesis techniques, and their future prospects.