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Interfaces between buckling phases in Silicene: Ab initio density functional theory calculations

The buckled structure of silicene leads to the possibility of new kinds of line defects that separate regions with reversed buckled phases. In the present work we show that these new grain boundaries have very low formation energies, one order of magnitude smaller than grain boundaries in graphene. These defects are stable along different orientations, and they can all be differentiated by STM images. All these defects present local dimerization between the Si atoms, with the formation of $π$-bonds. As a result, these defects are preferential adsorption sites when compared to the pristine region. Thus, the combination of low formation energy and higher reactivity of these defects may be cleverly used to design new nano-structures embedded in silicene.