Liquid Phase Exfoliated Borophene on Au(111)

Liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) of non-van der Waals materials has added a new feature to the research frontier of two-dimensional materials. However, these LPE reports mostly focus on the structures of these sheets. The information and insights into their local electronic properties are often missing. In this first such report, using atomic-scale characterization and theoretical calculations, we discuss the adsorption of LPE borophene on Au(111) and identify the adsorbed phase to be the β12 phase. It is seen to be metallic as opposed to insulating bulk boron. Our results demonstrate an efficient, low-cost, and scalable alternative in realizing substrate-supported borophene, a significant step for engineering applications of boron-based materials.