What is "silicene"

Etymology 1 n. (context inorganic compound English) A monolayer of silicon atoms packed together to resemble graphene. Etymology 2

n. (context organic chemistry English) Any short-lived, reactive species R₂Si: analogous to carbenes.

Silicene is a two-dimensional allotrope of silicon, with a hexagonal honeycomb structure similar to that of graphene. Contrary to graphene, silicene is not flat, but has a periodically buckled topology; the coupling between layers in silicene is much stronger than in multilayered graphene; and the oxidized form of silicene, 2D silica, has a very different chemical structure from graphene oxide.