Work

Interlayer Slip Engineering Induces Unexpected Out‐Of‐Plane Piezoelectricity in Group‐VA Nanosheets

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Piezoelectricity, arising from inversion symmetry breaking, is generally forbidden in centrosymmetric β‐phase bismuth (Bi) and antimony (Sb) structures. Here, we experimentally demonstrate a previously unreported out‐of‐plane piezoelectricity in β‐phase Bi and Sb nanosheets synthesized via electrochemical exfoliation. Piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) and second‐harmonic generation (SHG) measurements confirm the strong piezoelectric response with a longitudinal coefficient (d 33 ) up to ∼200 pm V −1 , comparable to or exceeding that of conventional 2D piezoelectric materials. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that interlayer slip during exfoliation induces a transition from AA‐ to AB‐stacking, effectively breaking inversion symmetry and leading to large out‐of‐plane polarization. This discovery introduces a universal mechanism to generate piezoelectricity in non‐piezoelectric 2D materials through stacking‐mode engineering, providing opportunities for nanoscale electromechanical and piezocatalytic devices.

Source: Small

DOI: 10.1002/smll.202513710

Authors: Zhifang Liu, Jia Long, Huaqiang Cao

Institutions: Beihang University, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: 2D Materials and Applications

Subfield: Materials Chemistry

Field: Materials Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

Award: G6463925470