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arXiv · 2101.10013

Fused borophenes: a new family of superhard materials

Santanu Saha·Wolfgang von der Linden·Lilia Boeri
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Abstract

The search of new superhard materials has received a strong impulse by industrial demands for low-cost alternatives to diamond and $c$-BN, such as metal borides. In this Letter we introduce a new family of superhard materials, "fused borophenes", containing 2D boron layers which are interlinked to form a 3D network. These materials, identified through a high-throughput scan of BxC1-x structures, exhibit Vicker's hardnesses comparable to those of the best commercial metal borides. Due to their low formation enthalpies, fused borophenes could be synthesized by high-temperature methods, starting from appropriate precursors, or through quenching of high-pressure phases.

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Santanu Saha, Wolfgang von der Linden, Lilia Boeri. 2021-01-25. Fused borophenes: a new family of superhard materials. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.5.l080601

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