Borophene Via Intercalation Exfoliation.

Abstract

Borophene, a highly anisotropic Dirac material, exhibits remarkable properties such as high electronic mobility, exceptional thermal conductivity, superconductivity, and ferroelasticity. It is ideal for energy storage, electrocatalysis, and wearable electronics applications. However, its synthesis is constrained by complexity, cost, and scalability issues. This study reports a scalable, single-step method for borophene synthesis via intercalation exfoliation using LiF, KF, and a LiF/KF combination in dimethylformamide (DMF), followed by sonication. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals few-layer sheets with lateral dimensions of ≈200 nm to 2 µm, while high-resolution TEM shows crystallographic structures with Moiré patterns. Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the chemical phase purity and metallic nature of the β₁₂ and χ₃ phases with negligible oxygen contamination. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate reduced interlayer coupling through ion intercalation, facilitating efficient exfoliation. Borophene-integrated PVDF nanocomposites exhibit enhanced sensitivity in piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerators, achieving a maximum response voltage of ≈118 V. This novel synthesis strategy overcomes scalability challenges and unlocks new opportunities for borophene in advanced flexible electronics, energy harvesting, and sensing applications.