What is "stanene"

n. (context inorganic chemistry English) a two-dimensional layer of tin one-atom thick doped with fluorine, which is a topological insulator (conducting electricity only along its edges).

Stanene is a 2D material and a 2D topological insulator. Stanene is composed of tin atoms arranged in a single, hexagonal layer, in a manner similar to graphene. Its name combes stannum (the Latin name for tin) with the suffix -ene used by graphene.

Stanene as a 2D topological insulator was theoretically predicted by Yao's group in 2011, and its functionalized derivations as topological insulators were predicted by Zhang's group in 2013. Both may display dissipationless superconductive currents at their edges near room temperature.

The addition of fluorine atoms to the tin lattice could extend the operating temperature up to 100 °C. This would make it practical for use in integrated circuits to make smaller, faster and more energy efficient computers. Research is ongoing in Germany and China, as well as at laboratories at Stanford and UCLA. The recent theoretical studies on electrical and mechanical properties suggests stanene as a contender to the silicon counterparts in nano-electronics.