Two-Dimensional Pb Square Nets from Bulk (RO)_nPb (R = Rare Earth Metals, n = 1,2)

All two-dimensional (2D) materials of group IV elements from Si to Pb are stabilized by carrier doping and interface bonding from substrates except graphene which can be free-standing. The involvement of strong hybrid of bonds, adsorption of exotic atomic species, and the high concentration of crystalline defects are often unavoidable, complicating the measurement of the intrinsic properties. In this work, we report the discovery of seven kinds of hitherto unreported bulk compounds (RO)_nPb (R = rare earth metals, n = 1,2), which consist of quasi-2D Pb square nets that are spatially and electronically detached from the [RO]^δ+ blocking layers. The band structures of these compounds near Fermi levels are relatively clean and dominantly contributed by Pb, resembling the electron-doped free-standing Pb monolayer. The R₂O₂Pb compounds are metallic at ambient pressure and become superconductors under high pressures with much enhanced critical fields. In particular, Gd₂O₂Pb (9.1 μ_B/Gd) exhibits an interesting bulk response of lattice distortion in conjunction with the emergence of superconductivity and magnetic anomalies at a critical pressure of 10 GPa. Our findings reveal the unexpected facets of 2D Pb sheets that are considerably different from their bulk counterparts and provide an alternative route for exploring 2D properties in bulk materials.