Superior lattice thermal conductance of single-layer borophene

Abstract

Borophene: exceptional thermal conductance Theoretical calculations reveal that borophene has a very high thermal conductance, higher than that of graphene, which currently holds the record among 2D materials. A team led by Yong-Wei Zhang at A*STAR in Singapore demonstrated that thermal transport in borophene is highly anisotropic, that is, heat is transported more efficiently in one direction than in the perpendicular one. They attributed this behavior to the fact that phonons—the quanta of the vibrations of the crystal lattice—tend to travel along a specific direction, because the bonds between boron atoms are particularly strong in that direction. The resulting thermal conductance is higher than that of any other 2D material. An improved understanding of thermal transport is relevant for applications in heat dissipation and thermal management.