Recent advances of novel ultrathin two-dimensional silicon carbides from a theoretical perspective

Abstract

Compared to graphene with semimetallic features, two-dimensional (2D) silicon carbide (Si–C) materials constitute another highly promising family for opto-electronic applications owing to their intrinsic electronic gaps. Recent theoretical studies of 2D Si–C materials thoroughly investigated their structure and properties. Herein, we overview these high-throughput approaches aiming to theoretically design 2D Si–C crystals. Graphene-like siligraphene and non-siligraphene are described in terms of morphology, physicochemical properties and potential applications based on the insights provided by simulations. In addition, the current progress of experimental exploration of 2D Si–C materials and underlying challenges are assessed as well.