Stable aqueous dispersions of optically and electronically active phosphorene

Abstract

Significance: Few-layered phosphorene, which is isolated through exfoliation from black phosphorus, has attracted great interest due to its unique electronic and optical properties. Although solution-based exfoliation methods have been developed for black phosphorus, these techniques have thus far used anhydrous organic solvents. This approach minimizes exposure to known oxidizing species, but at the cost of limited exfoliation yield and relatively thick flakes. Here, we overcome these limitations by using stabilizing surfactants in deoxygenated water, which results in phosphorene down to the monolayer limit. The resulting aqueous phosphorene dispersions show layer-dependent photoluminescence and enable high-performance field-effect transistors. Overall, this approach holds promise for the solution-phase production of few-layered phosphorene in emerging large-volume applications including electronics and optoelectronics.