Stanene [1] [2] is a topological insulator, theoretically predicted by Shoucheng Zhang's group at Stanford,[ further explanation needed ] which may display dissipationless currents at its edges near room temperature. It is composed of tin atoms arranged in a single layer, in a manner similar to graphene. [3] Stanene got its name by combining stannum (the Latin name for tin) with the suffix -ene used by graphene. [4] Research is ongoing in Germany and China, as well as at laboratories at Stanford and UCLA. [5]
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The addition of fluorine atoms to the tin lattice could extend the critical temperature up to 100 °C. [6] This would make it practical for use in integrated circuits to make smaller, faster and more energy efficient computers.