Beryllene, the lightest Xene

Abstract After the discovery of sp 2 -hybridized graphene and even lighter borophene, scientific quest for thinnest metallic sheets prompts beryllene. As beryllium lacks p-electrons, hybridization structural evolution beryllene in determining electronic/excitonic behaviors are scientifically interesting. Herein, we report experimental realization freestanding flat with a lateral dimension ~0.2–4 μm via sonochemical exfoliation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy establishes existence hexagonal, square stripe crystallographic phases. While characteristic Raman fingerprints ~451 ~614 cm −1 , experimentally observed electrically nature (vindicated by density-functional-theory band structure calculations) establish synthesis. Room temperature magnetism Be-G Be-CNT hybrids (established mapping magnetic force microscopic imaging) is an interesting finding. Beryllene was explored as surface-enhanced spectroscopy (SERS) anchor molecular sensing, oxidation-resistant, fire-resistant laminates. It believed that will lead to novel functionalities emerging applications.