Assembling phosphorene flexagons for 2D electron-density-guided nanopatterning and nanofabrication

Abstract

To build upon the rich structural diversity in the ever-increasing polymorphic phases of two-dimensional phosphorene, we propose different assembly methods (namely, the “bottom-up” and “top-down” approaches) that involve four commonly reported parent phases (i.e. the α-, β-, γ-, and δ-phosphorene) in combination with the lately reported remarkably low-energy one-dimensional defects in α-phosphorene. In doing so, we generate various periodically repeated phosphorene patterns in these so-called phosphorene flexagons and present their local electron density (via simulated scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images). These interesting electron density patterns seen in the flexagons (mimicking symmetry patterns that one may typically see in a kaleidoscope) may assist as potential 2D templates where electron-density-guided nanopatterning and nanofabrication in complex organized nanoarchitectures are important.