Germanane based nanomaterials: Synthesis, characterization and potential applications

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are a class of materials that consist of a single layer of atoms arranged in a two-dimensional lattice structure with unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties that make them attractive for a wide range of applications, including electronics, energy, and medicine. Germanane is a newly discovered 2D material that is made of a single layer of germanium atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice structure, similar to graphene. Germanane possesses excellent electronic and mechanical properties, which make it a good candidate for use in flexible electronics. This Ph.D. research summarizes our contribution to the development of new synthetic protocols for the preparation of 2D-germanane and its functionalization. We started with the establishment of a new synthetic protocol, through which the final product can be obtained much faster and with significantly higher stability than germananes reported so far. Next, we present a direct method to tune its properties by butyl functionalization. Both samples were tested as photocatalysts for the removal of water pollutants and showed superior performance compared with other widely used photocatalysts. Another use of germanane was the incorporation of it as a nanofiller in PLA matrices for the development of a new class of nanocomposites with enhanced biological activities. Finally, we developed a new strategy for the ex-situ functionalization of germanane, utilizing the 1, 3 cycloaddition reaction, previously used only in graphene-based materials. Overall, germanane is a promising material for a wide range of applications in electronics, optoelectronics, and other fields due to its unique properties.