Spontaneous growth of freestanding Ga nanoribbons from Cr₂GaC surfaces

Herein we report on the room-temperature spontaneous growth of Ga freestanding nanoribbons from Cr₂GaC surfaces. An oxidation-based model is proposed to explain the growth of the nanostructures. The nanoribbons present a unique opportunity to study the behavior of electrons confined to two dimensions. The production of these Ga nanostructures could be the first step in the manufacture of gallium arsenide or nitride devices with enhanced characteristics for photonic, electronic, and catalytic applications.