Some of the most promising materials for future technologies come in layers just one atom thick ⎯ graphene, e.g., a sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, prized for its exceptional strength and conductivity. While hundreds of such materials exist, truly merging them into something new has remained a challenge. Most efforts simply stack these atom-thin sheets like a deck of cards, but the layers typically lack significant interaction between them.
An international team of researchers led by Rice University materials scientists has succeeded in creating a genuine 2D hybrid by chemically integrating two fundamentally different 2D materials ⎯ graphene and silica glass ⎯ into a single, stable compound called glaphene, according to a study published in Advanced Materials.
“The layers do not just rest on each other ⎯ electrons move and form new interactions and vibration states, giving rise to properties neither material has on its own,” said Sathvik Iyengar, a doctoral student at Rice and a first author on the study.
More importantly, Iyengar explained, the method could apply to a wide range of 2D materials, enabling the development of designer 2D hybrids for next-generation electronics, photonics and quantum devices.
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