Fig. 5

Simulated STM images of freestanding and epitaxial boron sheets on Ag(111) surface. Freestanding a triangular, b β₁₂, and c χ₃ boron sheets. Partial charge density of freestanding d triangular, e β₁₂, and f χ₃ boron sheets. g Buckled triangular, h β₁₂, i χ₃, and j χ₃’ boron sheet on the Ag(111) surface. The bias voltage is 1.0 V. The green balls represent the boron atoms. The rectangles and rhombus enclosed by solid red lines denote the unit cells of freestanding and as-grown boron sheets on Ag(111) surface, respectively. Experimentally observed k stripe phase in Ref. [22], l stripe phase in Ref. [23], and m homogeneous phase in Ref. [23]