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Dual single-atomic layers snap together like Legos
Physicists at the University of Kansas (KU) have fabricated an innovative substance from two different atomic sheets that interlock, much like Lego toy bricks. The new material features two layers where each atomic sheet is comprised of atoms bound strongly with their neighbors--but the two atomic sheets are themselves only weakly linked by the so-called van der Waals force, the same phenomenon that allows geckos to stick to walls and ceilings.
The researchers anticipate the new material could be used in solar cells and flexible electronics.
This research was funded by the National Science Foundation.
To learn more about this research, see the KU news story Research yields material made of single-atom layers that snap together like Legos. (Date of Image: 2014)
Credit: University of Kansas/KU News Service
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