Penta-CN2 revisited: Superior stability, synthesis condition exploration, negative Poisson's ratio and quasi-flat bands

Pentagon-based two-dimensional (2D) materials have received tremendous attention owing to their unique atomic configurations, extraordinary physical and chemical properties, and their potential for broad applications. As one member of 2D penta-based materials, penta-CN2 has been proposed to be a high energy density material. Here, based on an in-depth thermodynamic and ab initio molecular dynamics analysis, we reveal that penta-CN2 has superior stability with an ultrahigh melting point up to 2500 K. Moreover, it remains an amorphous C-N network under the melting state, which makes penta-CN2 suitable for coating material in aviation area. Encouraged by the prospect of excellent applications, we further propose an experimental condition for synthesizing the penta-CN2. Specifically, the Nb(100) surface would be a potential substrate, the CH4 and N2H4 could be used as carbon and nitrogen sources under T = 1600 K with pressure p(H-2) = p(N2H4) = 4 x 10(-4) bar, p(CH4) = (10 & SIM; 100)p(H-2). Further calculation of electro-mechanical properties shows that penta-CN2 has intriguing properties, which includes large-range negative Poisson's ratio and paramagnetic insulator to ferromagnetic half-metal transition induced by hole doping. Our work is expected to give a profound view of penta-CN2 and guide the future experiment works.

Automated summary

Pentagon-based two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as penta-CN2, have attracted significant attention for their unique properties and potential applications. Through a thorough analysis, it has been found that penta-CN2 has superior stability with an ultrahigh melting point, making it suitable for coating materials in aviation. The study also proposes a method for synthesizing penta-CN2 and reveals its intriguing electro-mechanical properties.