New family of atomic-thin electride materials
discovered

An exploratory investigation into the behavior of
materials with desirable electric properties has resulted in the
discovery of a structural phase of two-dimensional (2D) materials.
The new family of materials are electrides, wherein electrons
occupy a space usually reserved for atoms or ions instead of
orbiting the nucleus of an atom or ion. The stable, low-energy,
tunable materials could have potential applications in
nanotechnologies.