Abstract:
With emergence of two-dimensional materials marked with the experimental isola
tion of graphene by mechanical exfoliation of graphite in 2004 [2], the research field
of 2-dimensional layered materials has witnessed a remarkable expansion with in
tense activity. Graphene and other 2-dimensional materials, such as transition metal
dichalcogenides (TMDCs), hexagonal boron nitride, phosphorene, etc. have received
tremendous attention in the fields of material science, nano-electronics, photonics,
and energy technologies. In the bulk form, these materials have layered structure
consisting of few-atom-thick sheets stacked and held together by weak van der Waals
forces which allow their isolation into single 2D-layer or sheets. The family of 2D
layered materials exhibits metallic, insulating, semiconducting and superconducting
properties [3–6,8–11,195], which make it possible to realize various electronic and
optoelectronic devices, giving rise to many new device concepts and theories.
