Graphene , the super two - dimensional material , has some great prop . It is200 timesstronger than steel by weightiness , and it can conduct heat and electrical energy with ease .
But graphene might not be alone in the elite two - dimensional social structure grade for much longer , as it could before long be join by its cousin-german : Stanene . This new compound on the block has some exciting and versatile holding that might just give graphene a unspoiled run for its money .
The compound was hypothesize two yr ago , and researchers atShanghai Jiao Tong Universitythink that they have bring home the bacon in have it . The result can be determine inNature Materials . Stanene is a two - dimensional chemical compound . It has similarities to graphene , but instead of carbon mote , stanene is compose of Sn atoms . The tin creates a six - sided honeycomb construction , not unalike to graphene , that can be discerned at the nanoscale .
The level is supported by a structure compile of atoms of bismuth telluride , which can be check in the side view of the following diagram .
Front and side persuasion of stanene ’s social structure ( red and blue ) stay atop a suffer compound ( cyan and grizzly ) . Feng - feng Zhu et al./Nature Materials .
But what makes stanene redundant limited ? In theory at least , it has some properties that would make it especially suited to conducting electricity without wasting much vigor creating heat . Electrons race down the edge of the stanene bed , bypass the central lattice . As a effect , they do n’t squander valuable energy interacting with other atom , which intend that this textile has likely applications in devices in many other field . These termination come from predictions made back in2013byShou - Cheng Zhang , the joint author of this young stanene study .
It is presently inconclusive that stanene has been created , according toother scientists . While the results so far are predict , with the space between the layers of atoms consistent with the predictions , it will be clear whether stanene has been created when scientists have the chance to image it using techniques such as X - electron beam diffraction . Unfortunately , these subprogram require more stanene than the scientists have currently grown , so it will be some time before enough stanene can be made for these sorts of conclusive run to be carried out .
However , the evidence so far is promising . So far , stanene is depend like the next big thing in two - dimensional material . allow ’s hope that the world will be able-bodied to live up to the hype .
Central Image : Stanene at the nanoscale with a discernible honeycomb bodily structure . Feng - feng Zhu et al./Nature Materials .
