New two-dimensional material

An international team of researchers (USA – Carnegie Institution for Science, Howard University, University of Chicago, Argonne National Laboratory, Germany, France, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, China) used the laser-heated diamond anvil cell technique with pressures of up to 100 gigapascals, to synthesize a Dirac material beryllonitrene (BeN4). These are beryllium polynitrides, some of which conform to the monoclinic, others to the triclinic crystal system. The triclinic beryllium polynitrides exhibit an unusual characteristic when the pressure drops. They take on a crystal structure made up of layers. Each layer contains zigzag nitrogen chains connected by beryllium atoms. Beryllonitrene is a new 2D material. Unlike graphene, the two-dimensional crystal structure of beryllonitrene results in a slightly distorted electronic lattice. Because of its resulting electronic properties, beryllonitrene would be excellently suited for applications in quantum technology if it could one day be produced on an industrial scale…read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE