South Korean scientists have discovered a way of changing the band gaps of phosphorene, a breakthrough in commercializing phosphorene, which is seen as a magic material for its potential industrial uses.

The group led by Postech professor Kim Keun-su said Friday that they have succeeded in modulating the band gaps of phosphorene, using a vertical electric field created by potassium.
 
Kim said the electric field turned the material from a moderate-gap semiconductor to a band-inverted semimetal with a band gap of as small as zero-point-six electron volts.
 
The smaller a band gap of a material is, the easier electricity runs through it, thus raising the likelihood of it being used in semiconductors.
 
Silicon, which is commonly used in semiconductors, has a band gap of one-point-one electron volts.  
 
The South Korean team expects the finding will pave the way for developing a high-performance semiconductor material one atom thick.
 
The findings were posted in the prestigious journal Science on Friday.