Superconductivity of two-dimensional hydrogenated transition-metal diborides

TL;DR

This study uses density functional theory to explore 2D transition-metal borides and their hydrogenated forms, revealing that heavily hydrogenated variants could be high-temperature superconductors with Tc up to 84K at ambient pressure.

Contribution

It introduces the potential of heavily hydrogenated 2D M2B2 materials as high-temperature superconductors at ambient pressure, expanding the scope of conventional superconductor research.

Findings

Heavy hydrogenation of M2B2H4 predicts Tc up to 84K.

Light hydrogenation M2B2H causes minor electronic and phonon property changes.

Potential for high-temperature superconductivity in 2D transition-metal borides.

Abstract

Since the discovery of MgB2 with Tc=39K, various metal diborides of MB2 have been intensively studied to find possible conventional high-temperature superconductors. A possible 2D structure of the metal diboride has been shown to be in the form of M2B2. Using density functional theory, we investigated phase stability and possible conventional superconductors for non-hydrogenation M2B2, light hydrogenation M2B2H, and heavy hydrogenation M2B2H4 of transition metal borides M2B2 (M=Sc,Y,V,Nb). The light hydrogenation M2B2H show as if they were a perturbed system from the non-hydrogenation in which the electronic structure, the phonon property, and the possible superconducting state are slightly changed. However, the heavy hydrogenation of M2B2H4 give very promising 2D materials with a possible high Tc of up to 84K at ambient pressure. This would fill the gaps for the study of possible conventional high-temperature superconductors at ambient pressure.