Borophene-based materials as emerging platforms for nanoelectronics and optoelectronics

Borophene, a monolayer of boron atoms, offers unique polymorphism, intrinsic metallicity, and anisotropic transport distinct from graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides. These features enable applications in ultrafast transistors, broadband photodetectors, nonlinear optics, and energy storage. This review highlights recent advances in synthesis, electronic and optical properties, and emerging device applications of borophene. Specifically, we survey nanoelectronic implementations (field-effect transistors, logic circuits, interconnects, flexible electronics, and energy storage systems) as well as optoelectronic applications (broadband photodetection, light emission, nonlinear optics, and photonic modulation). Key challenges, such as air instability, phase control, and integration barriers, are discussed along with strategies including chemical functionalization, encapsulation, and scalable fabrication. Compared with other two-dimensional materials, borophene exhibits exceptional versatility and holds significant potential for next-generation nanoelectronics, optoelectronics, and quantum technologies.