MBenes: Two-dimensional transition-metal borides with ordered metal vacancies

2D MBenes have been theoretically predicted to possess unique electronic structures and physicochemi-cal properties, and thus shown great promise in various applications. However, the synthesis of individual single-layer MBene remains a grand challenge due to its orthorhombic structure of MAB phases. Recently, scientists from Linkoping University have fabricated 2D monolayer Mo4/3B2-xTz with ordered metal vacan-cies. Their results demonstrated the feasibility of top-down approach by chemical exfoliation of laminated compounds and provided the principle for further preparation of a wealth of MBenes. (C) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.