Goldene, the two-dimensional form of gold, has arrived

Graphene has been regarded as a true miracle material since its first production, which took place exactly twenty years ago, in 2004, in the laboratory of the University of Manchester: at that time, two physicists from the university managed to create the one-atom-thick material for the first time, using a very simple method. The researchers peeled off the layers of graphite with the help of ordinary adhesive tape until only a single thin plate was left, this structure was graphene, which was and is still considered to be an extremely promising material in many areas of use, for example as a component of electronic devices or various coatings. even as a possible raw material for future space stations.

Since then, many other successors to graphene have been made in laboratories, including graphene, which is also one atom thick, which is a close relative of graphene, differing only in their structure – in graphene, the carbon atoms are not arranged in a uniform hexagonal lattice, but take on a more complicated shape. However, the creation of one-atom-thick materials made of metals presents a great challenge to experts, as metals generally prefer to arrange themselves in a three-dimensional structure due to the metallic bonds that form in them, and the usual cleavage process, which is used for structures containing Van der Waals bonds (interaction) are using, it doesn’t work in their case. Despite this, and precisely because of this, research into two-dimensional metals, i.e. one atom thick, is proceeding at full speed, as the thin structure has many advantages that make metal structures called metallenes a valuable component (among other things as catalysts).

A new method has now been found for the development of monoatomic gold, which is actually based on an old Japanese metalworking method, but this time it was used to extract the gold in the experiment. Researchers at Sweden’s Linköping University used silicon placed between titanium carbide layers as a starting point, to which gold was added. The metal took the place of silicon in the titanium carbide sandwich, from which it was released using the so-called Murakami reagent. According to material scientist Lars Hultman, who participated in the research, the reagent is used for working metals and has been known to Japanese masters for a hundred years, and now it has also proven to be suitable for extracting a thin layer of gold. The researchers also used surfactants to peel off the titanium carbide, which prevented the grouping of the gold atoms.

According to studies, goldenene, i.e. the one-atom-thick gold whose atoms form a network of triangles, has the right properties to be used as a functional catalyst or other useful tool, but speaking to Nature, chemist Graham Hutchings drew attention to the preparation method disadvantages as well. Since the Murakami reagent also contains iron, any iron residues that may enter goldenene can impair its catalytic capabilities, so it is probably necessary to find another, more optimal solution for its production, so that the latest wonder material can have a career similar to graphene in the future.

(Photo: Kashiwaya et al./Nature Synthesis, René Böhmer/Unsplash)

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