Enhanced linear dichroism of flattened-edge black phosphorus nanoribbons.

Black phosphorus is a material with an intrinsic anisotropy in electronic and optical properties due to its puckered honeycomb lattice. Optical absorption is different for incident light with linear polarization in the armchair and zigzag directions (linear dichroism). These directions are also used in the cuts of materials to create black phosphorus nanoribbons. Edges of nanoribbons usually have small reconstruction effects, with minor electronic effects. Here, we show a reconstruction of the armchair edge that introduces a new valence band, which flattens the puckered lattice and increases the linear dichroism extrinsically in the visible spectrum. This enhancement in linear dichroism is explained by the polarization selection rule, which considers the parity of the wave function to a reflection plane. The flattened-edge reconstruction originates from the inversion of chirality of the P atoms at the edges and significantly alters the entire optical absorption of the material. The flattened edges have potential applications in pseudospintronics, photodetectors and might provide new functionalities in optoelectronic and photonic devices.

2D Nanosheets-A New Class of Therapeutic Formulations against Cancer.

Researchers in cancer nanomedicine are exploring a revolutionary multifaceted carrier for treatment and diagnosis, resulting in the proposal of various drug cargos or "magic bullets" in this past decade. Even though different nano-based complexes are registered for clinical trials, very few products enter the final stages each year because of various issues. This prevents the formulations from entering the market and being accessible to patients. In the search for novel materials, the exploitation of 2D nanosheets, including but not limited to the highly acclaimed graphene, has created extensive interest for biomedical applications. A unique set of properties often characterize 2D materials, including semiconductivity, high surface area, and their chemical nature, which allow simple decoration and functionalization procedures, structures with high stability and targeting properties, vectors for controlled and sustained release of drugs, and materials for thermal-based therapies. This review discusses the challenges and opportunities of recently discovered 2D nanosheets for cancer therapeutics, with special attention paid to the most promising design technologies and their potential for clinical translation in the future.

Unusual angular dependence of the Raman response in black phosphorus.

Anisotropic materials are characterized by a unique optical response, which is highly polarization-dependent. Of particular interest are layered materials formed by the stacking of two-dimensional (2D) crystals that are naturally anisotropic in the direction perpendicular to the 2D planes. Black phosphorus (BP) is a stack of 2D phosphorene crystals and a highly anisotropic semiconductor with a direct band gap. We show that the angular dependence of polarized Raman spectra of BP is rather unusual and can be explained only by considering complex values for the Raman tensor elements. This result can be traced back to the electron-photon and electron-phonon interactions in this material.