Phyllosilicates as earth-abundant layered materials for electronics and optoelectronics: Prospects and challenges in their ultrathin limit

Abstract

Phyllosilicate minerals are an emerging class of naturally occurring layered insulators with large bandgap energy that have gained attention from the scientific community. This class of lamellar materials has been recently explored at the ultrathin two-dimensional level due to their specific mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties, which are crucial for engineering novel devices (including heterostructures). Due to these properties, phyllosilicate minerals can be considered promising low-cost nanomaterials for future applications. In this Perspective article, we will present relevant features of these materials for their use in potential 2D-based electronic and optoelectronic applications, also discussing some of the major challenges in working with them.

A comprehensive review of atomically thin silicates and their applications

“…Layered silicates, also known as phyllosilicates, are naturally occurring inorganic layered compounds where stacks of 2D silicate sheets are held together by weak van der Waals forces [64,65]. As mentioned before, compared to intralayer bonds, the van der Waals forces between layers are relatively weak, allowing for easy exfoliation into a single or few layers [64].…”

“…Layered silicates, also known as phyllosilicates, are naturally occurring inorganic layered compounds where stacks of 2D silicate sheets are held together by weak van der Waals forces [64,65]. As mentioned before, compared to intralayer bonds, the van der Waals forces between layers are relatively weak, allowing for easy exfoliation into a single or few layers [64]. The exfoliated layers are exceptionally thin and flexible, which results in a high surface area per unit volume, providing increased reactivity and potential applications in catalysis and adsorption processes.…”

Layered 2D material heterostructures – a colloidal perspective

“…35 As phyllosilicates in general tend to have a wide bandgap, high dielectric constant, and high thermal stability, they have recently found increased use in electronic and optoelectronic applications, as well as incorporation into different 2D material heterostructures. 35 Misfit layer chalcogenides, with the formula (MX) 1+m TX 2 or (MX) 1+m (TX 2 ) 2 (where M = Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, rare earth elements; T = Ti, V, Cr, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se), consist of alternating stacks of MX and TX 2 layers. [36][37][38] These can consist of multilayered misfit compounds, which show various polytypes, and the potential for non-stoichiometry in the MX layers due to M atom vacancies.…”

“…Phyllosilicates are a broad class of materials composed of 2D sheets of tetrahedral and octahedral coordination, to which minerals pyrophyllite, muscovite, talc, montmorillonite, and others belong. 35 As phyllosilicates in general tend to have a wide bandgap, high dielectric constant, and high thermal stability, they have recently found increased use in electronic and optoelectronic applications, as well as incorporation into different 2D material heterostructures. 35 Misfit layer chalcogenides, with the formula (MX) 1+ m TX 2 or (MX) 1+ m (TX 2 ) 2 (where M = Sn, Pb, Sb, Bi, rare earth elements; T = Ti, V, Cr, Nb, Ta; X = S, Se), consist of alternating stacks of MX and TX 2 layers.…”

Templated Growth of In2S3 in Ti3C2TX MXene with Enhanced Photocatalytic Properties

“…The weak van der Waals (vdW) forces between the adjacent layers, their nanometer to sub‐nanometer thickness, and their dangling bond‐free surfaces are favorable for the formation of such vertical heterostructures. [ 12–14 ] As a result, many efforts have been made to achieve heterostructures which show interesting physical phenomena, [ 15–18 ] for example, MoS 2 /WS 2 heterostructures which exhibit ultra‐fast charge transfer. [ 19 ] Such heterostructures also have improved performance for applications in electronics or photocatalysis.…”