Metallene: Ångström-Scale 2D Metals.
Fengzhu Ren1, Zhaoyang Han1,2, Lingfeng Zhu3
1Institute for Computational Materials Science, School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|October 7, 2025
Summary
Atomically thin 2D metals, or metallenes, offer unique quantum properties due to metallic bonding at the ångström scale. This review covers their synthesis, properties, and applications in catalysis, electronics, and beyond.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Condensed Matter Physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Atomically thin 2D metals, termed metallenes, preserve metallic bonding at the ångström scale.
- Quantum confinement in metallenes leads to ultrahigh carrier mobility and tunable plasmonic resonances.
- Recent advances enable isolation of stable, well-defined metallenes with unique quantum properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive overview of metallene research.
- To establish criteria for distinguishing true monolayer metals from quasi-2D nanosheets.
- To outline research directions for rational design and practical implementation of metallenes.
Main Methods:
- Reviewing synthetic chemistry and fabrication strategies for metallenes.
- Analyzing low-dimensional metrics and structure-function relationships.
- Surveying engineering techniques like doping and hetero-structuring for property modulation.
Main Results:
- Established rigorous criteria for identifying true metallenes.
- Benchmarked state-of-the-art fabrication strategies for scalability.
- Surveyed engineering tools to tailor metallene properties for diverse applications.
Conclusions:
- Metallenes offer significant potential in catalysis, plasmonics, electronics, and biomedical fields.
- Addressing challenges like metastability and synthetic precision is crucial for practical implementation.
- Further research is needed to accelerate the rational design and application of metallenes.
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