RMIT researchers have used liquid metal to create two-dimensional materials no thicker than a few atoms that have never before been seen in nature.
The incredible breakthrough will not only revolutionise the way we do chemistry but could be applied to enhance data storage and make faster electronics. The “once-in-a-decade” discovery has been published in Science.
The researchers dissolve metals in liquid metal to create very thin oxide layers, which previously did not exist as layered structures and which are easily peeled away.
Once extracted, these oxide layers can be used as transistor components in modern electronics. The thinner the oxide layer, the faster the electronics are. Thinner oxide layers also mean the electronics need less power. Among other things, oxide layers are used to make the touch screens on smart phones.
The research is led by Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh and Dr Torben Daeneke from RMIT’s School of Engineering, who with students have been experimenting with the method for the last 18 months.
“When you write with a pencil, the graphite leaves very thin flakes called graphene, that can be easily extracted because they are naturally occurring layered structures,” said Daeneke. “But what happens if these materials don’t exist naturally?
“Here we found an extraordinary, yet very simple method to create atomically thin flakes of materials that don’t naturally exist as layered structures.
“We use non-toxic alloys of gallium (a metal similar to aluminium) as a reaction medium. This covers the surface of the liquid metal with atomically thin oxide layers of the added metal rather than the naturally occurring gallium oxide.
“This oxide layer can then be exfoliated by simply touching the liquid metal with a smooth surface. Larger quantities of these atomically thin layers can be produced by injecting air into the liquid metal, in a process that is similar to frothing milk when making a cappuccino.”
It’s a process so cheap and simple that it could be done on a kitchen stove by a non-scientist.
“I could give these instructions to my mum, and she would be able to do this at home,” Daeneke said.
Professor Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh said that the discovery now places previously unseen thin oxide materials into everyday reach, with profound implications for future technologies.
“We predict that the developed technology applies to approximately one-third of the periodic table. Many of these atomically thin oxides are semiconducting or dielectric materials.
“Semiconducting and dielectric components are the foundation of today’s electronic and optical devices. Working with atomically thin components is expected to lead to better, more energy efficient electronics. This technological capability has never been accessible before.”
The breakthrough could also be applied to catalysis, the basis of the modern chemical industry, reshaping how we make all chemical products including medicines, fertilisers and plastics.
Learn more: Liquid metal breakthrough ushers new wave of electronics
The Latest on: Two-dimensional materials
[google_news title=”” keyword=”two-dimensional materials” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Human mini-lungs mimic animal response to nanomaterialson April 27, 2024 at 3:05 am
Human mini-lungs grown by University of Manchester scientists can mimic the response of animals when exposed to certain nanomaterials.
- ShrutiSalunkhe Leads the Way in User-Centric VR and AR Design Innovationon April 26, 2024 at 8:20 pm
ShrutiSalunkhe Leads the Way in User-Centric VR and AR Design Innovation.Illinois, USA - April 27, 2024 — Amidst the current state of ...
- Daily Editionon April 25, 2024 at 5:16 am
Visit the post for more.
- Manchester Scientists Find Novel One-Dimensional Superconductoron April 25, 2024 at 1:31 am
In a significant development in the field of superconductivity, researchers at The University of Manchester have successfully achieved robust superconductivity in high magnetic fields using a newly ...
- Light stands still in a deformed crystalon April 24, 2024 at 7:28 am
Researchers in the Photonic Forces group at AMOLF are looking for techniques and materials that would enable them to apply forces to photons that resemble the effects of magnetic fields. "But, in the ...
- Condensed matter physics: Novel one-dimensional superconductoron April 23, 2024 at 5:00 pm
In a significant development in the field of superconductivity, researchers have successfully achieved robust superconductivity in high magnetic fields using a newly created one-dimensional (1D) ...
- Unveiling the Hidden World of Granular Materials: MIT Engineers Probe the Mechanisms of Landslides and Earthquakeson April 22, 2024 at 8:26 pm
A new technique allows for the visualization of internal forces within granular materials in three-dimensional detail, overcoming previous challenges in observing their behavior. Granular materials, ...
- New 2D material manipulates light with remarkable precision and minimal losson April 22, 2024 at 10:00 am
Responding to the increasing demand for efficient, tunable optical materials capable of precise light modulation to create greater bandwidth in communication networks and advanced optical systems, a ...
- Study shows ultra-thin two-dimensional materials can rotate the polarization of visible lighton April 22, 2024 at 8:52 am
It has been known for centuries that light exhibits wave-like behavior in certain situations. Some materials are able to rotate the polarization, i.e. the direction of oscillation, of the light wave ...
- Magnetic with a pinch of hydrogen: Research team develops new idea to improve the properties of ultra-thin materialson April 22, 2024 at 7:14 am
Magnetic two-dimensional materials consisting of one or a few atomic layers have only recently become known and promise interesting applications, for example for the electronics of the future. So far, ...
via Google News and Bing News