Atomic structures and electronic properties of phosphorene grain boundaries

Grain boundary (GB) is one main type of defects in two-dimensional (2D) crystals, and has significant impact on the physical properties of 2D materials. Phosphorene, a recently synthesized 2D semiconductor, possesses a puckered honeycomb lattice and outstanding electronic properties. It is very interesting to know the possible GBs present in this novel material, and how their properties differ from those in the other 2D materials. Based on first-principles calculations, we explore the atomic structure, thermodynamic stability, and electronic properties of phosphorene GBs. A total of 19 GBs are predicted and found to be energetically stable with formation energies much lower than those in graphene. These GBs do not severely affect the electronic properties of phosphorene: the band gap of perfect phosphorene is preserved, and the electron mobilities are only moderately reduced in these defective systems. Our theoretical results provide vital guidance for experimental tailoring the electronic properties of phosphorene as well as the device applications using phosphorene materials.