Penta-graphene: A new carbon allotrope
Abstract
Carbon has many faces--from diamond and graphite to graphene, nanotube, and fullerenes. Whereas hexagons are the primary building blocks of many of these materials, except for C20 fullerene, carbon structures made exclusively of pentagons are not known. Because many of the exotic properties of carbon are associated with their unique structures, some fundamental questions arise: Is it possible to have materials made exclusively of carbon pentagons and if so will they be stable and have unusual properties? Based on extensive analyses and simulations we show that penta-graphene, composed of only carbon pentagons and resembling Cairo pentagonal tiling, is dynamically, thermally, and mechanically stable. It exhibits negative Poisson's ratio, a large band gap, and an ultrahigh mechanical strength.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- February 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1416591112
- Bibcode:
- 2015PNAS..112.2372Z