Atomically-thin two-dimensional (2D) materials are ideal candidates for high-performance solar cell and battery applications due to their favorable physical and optoelectronic properties. Recently, phosphorene—or, 2D black phosphorus—has attracted considerable interest due to its high carrier mobility, direct and tunable bandgap, and structural anisotropy resulting in unique mechanical, optoelectronic, and transport behavior. However, phosphorene is currently limited by both its susceptibility to ambient degradation, leading to amorphous PxOy species, and the lack of known phosphorene doping methods. Through reactions with selective oxidants (including azides, oxygen-atom, and other single-atom transfer reagents), I will develop synthetic protocols to control the passivation and doping of phosphorene nanosheets while preserving their underlying structure and tuning their optoelectronic properties. Our approach, in chemically modifying nanomaterials, further opens an avenue for the precise control of nanostructures and resultant properties, towards ultimately accessing highly stable and performance-optimized photovoltaics and energy storage devices.
Advisor: Alexandra Velian – Chemistry