The Computational 2D Materials Database: High-Throughput Modeling and Discovery of Atomically Thin Crystals

TL;DR

The paper presents the Computational 2D Materials Database (C2DB), a comprehensive open resource with calculated properties of around 1500 2D materials, facilitating discovery and design of new atomically thin crystals for various applications.

Contribution

It introduces a semi-automated workflow for high-throughput calculation of 2D materials properties and provides an extensive, accessible database for materials research.

Findings

Identification of new potentially synthesizable 2D materials

Trends and correlations in 2D material properties

Potential applications in spintronics and optoelectronics

Abstract

We introduce the Computational 2D Materials Database (C2DB), which organises a variety of structural, thermodynamic, elastic, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties of around 1500 two-dimensional materials distributed over more than 30 different crystal structures. Material properties are systematically calculated by state-of-the art density functional theory and many-body perturbation theory (G$_0\!$W$\!_0$ and the Bethe-Salpeter Equation for $\sim$200 materials) following a semi-automated workflow for maximal consistency and transparency. The C2DB is fully open and can be browsed online or downloaded in its entirety. In this paper, we describe the workflow behind the database, present an overview of the properties and materials currently available, and explore trends and correlations in the data. Moreover, we identify a large number of new potentially synthesisable 2D materials with interesting properties targeting applications within spintronics, (opto-)electronics, and plasmonics. The C2DB offers a comprehensive and easily accessible overview of the rapidly expanding family of 2D materials and forms an ideal platform for computational modeling and design of new 2D materials and van der Waals heterostructures.