Ball milling induced borophene flakes fabrication

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Solid State Chemistry

Background:

• Borophene, a 2D nanomaterial, requires scalable and cost-effective production methods.
• Existing fabrication routes for borophene are limited, creating a knowledge gap.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore mechanical exfoliation of bulk boron into few-layered borophene using ball milling.
• To establish a facile, scalable, and reproducible fabrication route for borophene.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a planetary ball mill for mechanical exfoliation of bulk boron.
• Investigating the effects of rotation speed, milling time, and mass loading on exfoliation efficiency.
• Characterizing the resulting few-layered borophene flakes and their crystalline phases.

Main Results:

• Identified optimal ball-milling conditions (450 rpm, 6 hours, 1 g) for producing thin few-layered borophene flakes (∼5.5 nm).
• Demonstrated control over flake thickness and distribution by adjusting milling parameters.
• Observed the formation of different borophene crystalline phases (β-rhombohedral, γ-orthorhombic, τ-B) induced by mechanical energy and heat.

Conclusions:

• Ball milling offers a promising new avenue for bulk production of few-layered borophene.
• The mechanical exfoliation process influences borophene's crystalline structure, opening avenues for property-structure relationship studies.
• This method facilitates further fundamental research and practical application assessments of borophene.