A critical analysis of emerging trends in borophene synthesis

Borophene, as a 2D rising eulogizing star, is garnering increasing attention and recognition due to its venerated properties including anisotropic plasmonics, exemplary in-plane elasticity, superconductivity, massless Dirac fermions, high electron mobility, exceptional flexibility, exquisite tunability, and metallic properties across the majority of its structural models. These characteristics make borophene a promising material with diverse implementations like quantum electronics, high-speed low-dissipation devices, gas sensors, and energy storage. Following the landmark synthesis of borophene in 2015, a multitude of scientific endeavors have explored diverse synthesis approaches for producing borophene on a range of substrates. Within, this comprehensive review, we endeavor to present a succinct yet thorough examination of the myriad synthesis approaches employed for borophene fabrication on various substrates. In tandem, we meticulously delineate the merits and demerits inherent to each of these elucidated synthesis techniques. Furthermore, the review encompasses a summary of applications of borophene. Simultaneously, we proffer suggestions, address existing challenges, and discern novel prospects, thus extending an invitation for future exploration in this promising domain of scientific inquiry.

Graphical Abstract