Formene

Formene is a term used in theoretical chemistry and speculative materials science to describe a proposed family of two-dimensional, carbon-rich compounds that would form planar sheets with a porous lattice. In many models, formene would be composed of light elements arranged in a honeycomb network, with occasional heteroatoms such as nitrogen or boron introduced to tailor electronic properties. The concept is used to explore how lightweight, conductive sheets might be integrated into next-generation materials.

Properties and structure: Formene is described as a highly conjugated, ultrathin sheet that could exhibit high mechanical strength and tunable electrical conductivity. In hypothetical compositions, sheets would possess significant surface area and porosity, enabling gas storage or catalysis. Because formene is largely speculative, experimental results vary; reported color ranges span from colorless to pale yellow, with predicted densities in the low- to mid-2 g/cm3 range. Thermal stability is predicted to extend up to several hundred degrees Celsius in inert conditions; oxidation sensitivity remains a concern.

Synthesis and occurrence: There are no natural occurrences of formene. In laboratories, researchers model and synthesize small analogues and use surface-assisted reactions or bottom-up molecular assembly to study potential architectures. Synthesis routes proposed include dehydrogenative coupling of simple precursors on catalytic surfaces and polymerization of formaldehyde-derived units under controlled conditions; scalability remains a major challenge.

Applications and status: If realized, formene could find use in energy storage, catalysis, and flexible electronics. At present, formene remains a topic of theoretical and early exploratory work rather than a developed material.