title: Intrinsic Defects, Fluctuations of the Local Shape, and the Photo-Oxidation of Black Phosphorus.
abstract: Black phosphorus is a monatomic semiconducting layered material that degrades exothermically in the presence of light and ambient contaminants. Its degradation dynamics remain largely unknown. Even before degradation, local-probe studies indicate non-negligible local curvature-through a nonconstant height distribution-due to the unavoidable presence of intrinsic defects. We establish that these intrinsic defects are photo-oxidation sites because they lower the chemisorption barrier of ideal black phosphorus (>10 eV and out of visible-range light excitations) right into the visible and ultraviolet range (1.6 to 6.8 eV), thus enabling photoinduced oxidation and dissociation of oxygen dimers. A full characterization of the material's shape and of its electronic properties at the early stages of the oxidation process is presented as well. This study thus provides fundamental insights into the degradation dynamics of this novel layered material.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States.
authors.forename: Kainen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Utt
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rivero
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States.
authors.forename: Mehrshad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mehboudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States.
authors.forename: Edmund O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Harriss
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Oklahoma State University , Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States.
authors.forename: Mario F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Borunda
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad del Norte , Barranquilla, Colombia.
authors.forename: Alejandro A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pacheco SanJuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville, Arkansas 72701, United States.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barraza-Lopez