# Thirty Years of Borophene: Origins, Scientific Progress, and Future Directions

## TL;DR

Borophene, a thin boron sheet, shows promising properties for electronics and energy storage, but challenges remain in making it stable and scalable.

## Contribution

This paper provides a critical overview of borophene's scientific progress and commercial potential, highlighting synthesis methods and computational challenges.

## Key findings

- Borophene's polymorphism and metallic conductivity make it suitable for flexible electronics.
- Computational methods like PBE show inconsistencies in predicting borophene properties.
- Scalable synthesis and air stability are major hurdles for practical applications.

## Abstract

Borophene, an atomically thin boron sheet, exhibits exceptional
polymorphism, metallic conductivity, and anisotropic mechanical behavior.
Interest in borophene is growing, reflected in the increase in scientific
publications and international collaborations. The 2D materials market
is projected to reach a size of 2030, and technology companies are
investing in its commercialization, especially for flexible electronics
and energy storage. This perspective integrates a comprehensive bibliometric
analysis with a critical evaluation of theoretical predictions, experimental
synthesis methods, phase stability, and ambient reactivity. In epitaxial
growth, emerging wet-chemical and exfoliation routes and functionalization
strategies. The influence of computational methodology on predicted
properties is discussed, highlighting inconsistencies among PBE, hybrid,
and correlated approaches. Finally, we outline key challenges, including
air stability, scalable synthesis, and device integration, and propose
research pathways needed to translate borophene from fundamental discovery
to practical technologies.