Direct evidence of metallic bands in a monolayer boron sheet

The search for metallic boron allotropes has attracted great attention in the past decades and recent theoretical works predict the existence of metallicity in monolayer boron. Here, we synthesize the β₁₂-sheet monolayer boron on a Ag(111) surface and confirm the presence of metallic boron-derived bands using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. The Fermi surface is composed of one electron pocket at the S ¯ point and a pair of hole pockets near the X ¯ point, which is supported by the first-principles calculations. The metallic boron allotrope in β₁₂ sheet opens the way to novel physics and chemistry in material science.