Phosphorene: from theory to applications

2D materials are the focus of an intense research effort because of their unique properties and their potential for revealing intriguing new phenomena. Phosphorene, a monolayer of black phosphorus, earned its place among the family of 2D semiconductor materials when recent results unveiled its high carrier mobility, high optical and UV absorption, and other attractive properties, which are of particular interest for optoelectronic applications. Unlike graphene, phosphorene has an anisotropic orthorhombic structure that is ductile along one of the in-plane crystal directions but stiff along the other. This results in unusual mechanical, electronic, optical and transport properties that reflect the anisotropy of the lattice. This Review summarizes the physical properties of phosphorene and highlights the recent progress made in the preparation, isolation and characterization of this material. The role of defects and doping is discussed, and phosphorene-based devices are surveyed; finally, the remaining challenges and potential applications of phosphorene are outlined.