Researchers at Northwestern Engineering have developed a breakthrough synthesis technique that enables the formation of two-dimensional (2D) copper boride, a new material with exceptional properties and potential applications in next-generation computing technologies.
The discovery opens the door to a new class of 2D materials, which are prized for their unique electronic, magnetic, and mechanical properties. Crystalline structures just one or a few atoms thick, these materials have been largely inaccessible due to longstanding challenges in synthesizing them.
The new work shows that copper boride can be produced by depositing atomic boron onto copper surfaces at high temperatures. This methodology can be applied on other metal surfaces, making it a promising tool for accelerating the experimental realization of additional 2D metal borides.
Researchers led by Professor Mark Hersam built on their earlier work developing borophene, a 2D form of boron synthesized by depositing atomic boron on silver. In contrast to copper, which exhibits strong chemical interactions with boron, the deposition of atomic boron on copper surfaces at an optimized substrate temperature leads to the formation of 2D copper boride.
The potential applications for this new material include high-performance computing and advanced energy systems. Scientists have long believed that 2D metal borides could offer exceptional properties, such as high electrical conductivity, tunable magnetism, and remarkable strength. Now that one has been successfully synthesized, those predictions can be tested in practice.
The research team plans to expand this technique to explore other 2D metal borides and investigate how these materials might perform in real-world technologies.
Source: https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/news/articles/2025/05/synthesis-of-2d-copper-boride-unlocks-new-class-of-advanced-materials