Title: Contours of Contemporary Research: Perspectives Across Disciplines
Chief Editors: Dr. S. Durga, Dr. S. Sathyapriya, and Dr. V. A. Jane
ISBN: 978-81-17787-25-0
Chapter: 3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.59646/880/3
Authors: Happy Patil, Vikrant Baxi, Kaushal Purohit, Hiren Jagani, and Devansh Desai
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) materials provide a versatile platform for engineering electronic transport, photon absorption, interfacial chemistry, and ion storage at atomic-scale thickness. Beyond graphene, the materials family includes transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MXenes, phosphorene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), and newer layered or synthetic nanosheets. Their promise is not derived from thinness alone: layer-dependent band structures, strongly bound excitons, accessible catalytic sites, tunable terminations, and mechanically compliant interfaces create distinct design opportunities. This chapter critically examines their classification, synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and applications in transistors, photodetectors, flexible systems, biosensors, therapeutic research, solar cells, hydrogen electrocatalysis, and electrochemical storage. Particular emphasis is placed on the coupled effects of defects, interface cleanliness, functionalization, and van der Waals heterostructures. Published benchmark results illustrate both exceptional laboratory performance and the limits of cross-study comparison, including trade-offs between photogain and response speed, sensor sensitivity and clinical selectivity, and high electrode capacitance and full-cell energy density. Consistent with the 2026 2D Materials Roadmap, the assessment highlights wafer-scale reproducibility, stable surface chemistry, reliable packaging, responsible toxicological evaluation, and manufacturing-compatible processing as essential translation criteria. Future progress will depend on integrating physics-led material selection with chemical control, biological validation, engineering metrology, and application-specific life-cycle assessment. [1,4,14,25]
Keywords: Two-dimensional materials; graphene; transition metal dichalcogenides; MXenes; optoelectronics; biosensors; renewable energy; van der Waals heterostructures.