Boron-based nanoscale structures are at the vanguard of current research due to multifarious applications in numerous fields. Here we report the formation of ordered boron structure on Mo(112), which was investigated by low energy electron diffraction (LEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). While Boron did not form ordered structures at room temperature, it showed a c(2×2) structure upon heating at 1500 K. The c(2×2) structure shows a regular array of boron clusters on the trench of Mo(112), and the STM study does not indicate any alloying. Dynamical LEED analysis and density functional theory reveal that the c(2×2) structure is an array of boron clusters, B4. The formation of the B4 cluster can also be explained by favorable adsorption sites on the trench of Mo(112). The scanning tunneling spectroscopy study shows the metallic nature of this B nanostructure, which will be stimulating for practical applications. This novel network formation by boron clusters indicates strong inter-atomic as well as intra-cluster bonding.

Synthesis of B4 cluster on Mo(112) surface

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