Two-dimensional world of silicene

The success of graphene initiated the era of two-dimensional materials with the thickness of a single atomic layer and formed mainly by group 14 of the periodic table elements. In the last few years, this new class of two-dimensional crystals has become the subject of intense research, mainly due to the predicted excellent physicochemical properties and the promissing perspectives for potential applications, including nanoelectronic, optoelectronic, catalytic, and electricity storage devices, gas sensors or new generation hybrid functional materials.

The oldest member of the family of these two-dimensional materials is silicene – the silicon counterpart of graphene. It is not only compatible with current silicon-based electronics, but it can also be easily functionalized. This opens up, unavailable to graphene, possibilities for the design and construction of modern electronic devices, such as a topological field effect transistor, or the creation of new technological concepts, such as straintronics, a technology that utilizes modifications of the atomic structure to control electronic properties.

During the talk I will discuss selected issues related to the production, characterization and functionalisation of silicene layers in the context of promising future applications.