Dirac Cones in Boron’s Version of Graphene

Single-layer carbon, or graphene, has highly desirable properties that are the envy of other materials. But a new study of single-layer boron, or borophene, shows that it boasts at least one graphene-like property: Dirac cones in the electronic band structure. These cones are associated with high charge mobility and an anomalous quantum Hall effect. The discovery of Dirac cones in borophene suggests that the range of crystal structures with graphene-like properties is wider than previously thought.