Two-dimensional Xenes and their device concepts for future micro- and nanoelectronics and energy applications

Two-dimensional (2D) synthetic single-element materials referred to as Xenes is achieving an increasing consideration in solid-state science and technology at the extreme nanoscale. The discovery of Xenes went through two generations. The first one is limited to the elements of IV column beyond carbon in the periodic table (namely silicene, germanene, stanene, and plumbene), and the second one includes elements from the adjacent columns (from borophene and gallenene in group III, to phosphorene, arsenene, antimonene, and bismuthene in group V, to selenene and tellurene in group VI). Individual Xenes or homogeneous groups of Xenes are here scrutinized with focus on the epitaxial methodologies as tool for Xene production, identification probing techniques, and perspectives of applications in the micro and nanoelectronics as well as energy technologies.