The synthesis of single-atom layer versions of a range of atoms is currently all the hype, with graphene probably the most well-known example of this. These monolayers are found to have a range of mechanical (e.g. hardness), electrical (conduction) and thermal properties that are very different from the other forms of these materials. The major difficulty in creating monolayers is finding a way that works reliably and which can scale. Now researchers have found a way to make monolayers of gold – called goldene – which allows for the synthesis of relatively large sheets of this two-dimensional structure.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://hackaday.com/2024/04/25/synthesis-of-goldene-single-atom-layer-gold-with-interesting-properties/