Silicene: It could be the new graphene

Single-layer sheets of silicon might have electronic applications

The hottest celebrity in the world of nanomaterials may soon face a new rival. Inspired by the Nobel Prize-winning creation of the carbon material known as graphene, physicists have now created atom-thin sheets of carbon’s big brother, silicon.

ONE-ATOM LAYER Silicon atoms (bright spots) in a honeycomb pattern are a new type of material known as silicene.