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Pnictogens have multiple allotropic forms resulting from their ns2 np3 valence electronic configuration, making them the only elemental materials to crystallize in layered van der Waals (vdW) and quasi-vdW structures throughout the group. Light group VA elements are found in the layered orthorhombic A17 phase such as black phosphorus, and can transition to the layered rhombohedral A7 phase at high pressure. On the other hand, bulk heavier elements are only stable in the A7 phase. Herein, we demonstrate that these two phases not only co-exist during the vdW growth of antimony on weakly interacting surfaces, but also undertake a spontaneous transformation from the A17 phase to the thermodynamically stable A7 phase. This metastability of the A17 phase is revealed by real-time studies unraveling its thickness-driven transition to the A7 phase and the concomitant evolution of its electronic properties. At a critical thickness of ~4 nm, A17 antimony undergoes a diffusionless shuffle transition from AB to AA stacked alpha-antimonene followed by a gradual relaxation to the A7 bulk-like phase. Furthermore, the electronic structure of this intermediate phase is found to be determined by surface self-passivation and the associated competition between A7- and A17-like bonding in the bulk. These results highlight the critical role of the atomic structure and interfacial interactions in shaping the stability and electronic characteristics of vdW layered materials, thus enabling a new degree of freedom to engineer their properties using scalable processes.
The discovery of new families of exfoliatable 2D crystals that have diverse sets of electronic, optical, and spin-orbit coupling properties, enables the realization of unique physical phenomena in these few-atom thick building blocks and in proximity
Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) crystals have gained tremendous attentions owing to their potential impacts to the future electronics technologies, as well as the exotic phenomena emerging in these materials. Monolayer of {alpha} phase Sb ({alph
We report structural, physical properties and electronic structure of van der Waals (vdW) crystal VI3. Detailed analysis reveals that VI3 exhibits a structural transition from monoclinic C2/m to rhombohedral R-3 at Ts ~ 79 K, similar to CrX3 (X = Cl,
The exfoliation of two naturally occurring van der Waals minerals, graphite and molybdenite, arouse an unprecedented level of interest by the scientific community and shaped a whole new field of research: 2D materials research. Several years later, t
Puckered honeycomb Sb monolayer, the structural analog of black phosphorene, has been recently successfully grown by means of molecular beam epitaxy. However, little is known to date about the growth mechanism for such puckered honeycomb monolayer. I