Emerging 2D Materials Produced via Electrochemistry

Abstract

2D materials are important building blocks for the upcoming generation of nanostructured electronics and multifunctional devices due to their distinct chemical and physical characteristics. To this end, large‐scale production of 2D materials with high purity or with specific functionalities represents a key to advancing fundamental studies as well as industrial applications. Among the state‐of‐the‐art synthetic protocols, electrochemical exfoliation of layered materials is a very promising approach that offers high yield, great efficiency, low cost, simple instrumentation, and excellent up‐scalability. Remarkably, playing with electrochemical parameters not only enables tunable material properties but also increases the material diversities from graphene to a wide spectrum of 2D semiconductors. Here, a succinct and critical survey of the recent progress in this research direction is presented, comprising the strategic design, exfoliation principles, underlying mechanisms, processing techniques, and potential applications of 2D materials. At the end of the discussion, the emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in real practice are also highlighted.

Tuning the Magnetic Properties of Two-Dimensional MXenes by Chemical Etching

“…3 The high elastic mechanical strength 4 , electronic conductivity 5,6 , chemical stability [7][8][9] , and hydrophilicity 10,11 of MXenes have opened broad prospects for their applications in a variety of industrial and technological areas including energy storage, optoelectronics, spintronics, catalysis, and sensing. [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] Although there is significant research effort in the optical 24,25 and electronic 11,26,27 properties of MXenes, the magnetic properties of these materials for spintronic application is relatively unexplored. 28 The intrinsic properties of MXenes are mainly determined by the transition metal in the MAX phase.…”

A 2D Titanium Carbide MXene Flexible Electrode for High‐Efficiency Light‐Emitting Diodes

“…[ 36 ] Due to the 2D structure and high electrical conductivity along with the simple fabrication, MXenes have been explored as electrodes and current collectors of metal ion batteries, sensors, gas and electrochemical storage media, energy devices, and catalysts. [ 37–46 ] Metallic conductivity and hydrophilic surface make MXenes good candidates for use as solution‐processed TCEs for flexible optoelectronic devices. However, MXene have not been properly used for supporting an LED because the MXene films can be severely damaged when they are coated with an acidic‐water‐based hole‐injection layer (HIL).…”

Liquid‐Metal‐Templated Synthesis of 2D Graphitic Materials at Room Temperature

“…[ 3,4 ] The use of electrochemistry in regard to 2D‐GMs has so far been limited to the electrodeposition of suspended graphene flakes onto electrodes, [ 5 ] and the exfoliation of working electrodes made of graphite. [ 6–8 ] This dilemma for adapting electrochemistry originates from the fact that no electrode is atomically smooth, thus promoting rough nucleation (Volmer–Weber type) instead of planar carbon deposition via Frank–van der Merwe regime. [ 9,10 ] Here we demonstrate liquid metals as a promising class of catalytic electrodes for electrochemical synthesis of 2D‐GMs from common liquid organic precursors.…”