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Abstract As a neighbor of carbon in the periodic table, boron exhibits versatile structural and electronic configurations, with its allotropes predicted to possess intriguing structures and properties. Since the experimental realization of two‐dimensional (2D) boron sheets (borophene) on Ag(111) substrates in 2015, the experimental study of the realization and characteristics of borophene has drawn increasing interest. In this review, we summarize the synthesis and properties of borophene, which are mainly based on experimental results. First, the synthesis of borophene on different substrates, as well as borophane and bilayer borophene, featuring unique phases and properties, are discussed. Next, the chemistry of borophene, such as oxidation, hydrogenation, and its integration into heterostructures with other materials, is summarized. We also mention a few works focused on the physical properties of borophene, specifically its electronic properties. Lastly, the brief outlook addresses challenges toward practical applications of borophene and possible solutions. 

Inspired by the success of graphene, two-dimensional (2D) materials have been at the forefront of advanced (opto-)nanoelectronics and energy-related fields owing to their exotic properties like sizable bandgaps, Dirac fermions, quantum spin Hall states, topological edge states, and ballistic charge carrier transport, which hold promise for various electronic device applications. Emerging main group elemental 2D materials, beyond graphene, are of particular interest due to their unique structural characteristics, ease of synthetic exploration, and superior property tunability. In this review, we present recent advances in atomic-scale studies of elemental 2D materials with an emphasis on synthetic strategies and structural properties. We also discuss the challenges and perspectives regarding the integration of elemental 2D materials into various heterostructures. 

Bilayer (BL) two-dimensional boron (i.e., borophene) emerges very recently and holds promise for fascinating physical properties and a variety of electronic applications. Despite this potential, the fundamental chemical properties of BL borophene which form the critical foundation of practical applications has been unexplored. Here, we present atomic-level chemical studies of BL borophene using ultrahigh vacuum tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (UHV-TERS). UHV-TERS identifies the vibrational fingerprint of BL borophene from mixed-dimensional borophene polymorphs with angstrom-scale chemical spatial resolution. The observed Raman mode is directly correlated with the vibrations of interlayer boron-boron bonds, validating the three-dimensional lattice geometry of BL borophene. By virtue of the single-bond sensitivity of UHV-TERS to oxygen adatoms, we demonstrate the enhanced chemical stability of BL borophene compared to its monolayer counterpart by exposure to controlled oxidizing atmospheres under UHV. In addition to revealing fundamental chemical insights into BL borophene, this work establishes UHV-TERS as a powerful tool to probe interlayer bonding and chemical properties of layered materials at the atomic scale. 

The extensive research on ultrathin ferrous oxide (FeO) islands and films over the last few decades has significantly contributed to the understanding of their structural and catalytic properties. In this regard, the local chemical properties of FeO edges, such as their metal affinity, play a critical role in determining and tuning the catalytic reactivity of FeO, which however remains largely unexplored. In this work, we use scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) to study the interaction of Pd and Pt with FeO grown on Au(111). Different Fe affinities for Pd and Pt are demonstrated by the preferential growth of Pd on the Fe-terminated edge and Pt on the O-terminated edge of FeO nanoislands, resulting in selectively blocked FeO edges. In addition to revealing the different metal affinities of FeO edges, our results provide new insights into the edge reactivity of FeO/Au(111) and suggest an approach for controlling the selectivity of FeO catalysts.