2D Materials For Research: Uses To Learn

2D Materials For Research | Image Resource : andrew.cmu.edu

2D materials ever since they were discovered, has been the centre of much discussion. They have created a huge stir in the scientific community, owing largely to its unique properties. 2D materials have a thickness of few nanometers and are hence considered to be two dimensional. Their negligible thickness and unique properties have made them the centre of much research.

The electrons in the 2D materials move freely in two dimensions. But their movement in the third dimension is guided by the laws of quantum mechanics. The discovery of graphene marked the invention of 2D materials. The most commonly used 2D materials for research are Silicene and Graphene.

Utility of 2D Materials:

2D materials have gained popularity because of the properties that they exhibit and the potential uses it offers. 2D materials have found their usage in devices that are meant to be atomic thin. There are certain assumptions that are to be made in reference to the electronic field. They are quite usefulwhen it comes to the fabrication and the manufacturing of a large number of exclusionarydevices such as optical modulators to lazers or even used in the field of piezoelectronics andvalleytronics.

Commonly used 2D materials for research:

Graphene was the first element to have been discovered that exhibits two dimensional characteristics. Therefore, it is the most famous 2D material that is used till date. Graphene has several interesting properties and utilities. Here is why Graphene gained and retained the its fame:

Graphene: When compared to other research fields, graphene research is a rather new field ofresearch, coming into being only around the year 2004-05. It is around this point of time that severalresearchers around the world researched upon the material and have published several papers on it.The science community was quick to recognise the unique nature of Graphene. Related materials,mainly fullerenes, graphite and carbon nanotubes, were being, researched and worked upon. Thesematerials are directly related to graphene (graphite: stacked form of graphene, fullerenes: wrappedform of graphene, nanotubes: rolled form of graphene). It was a very simple transition forresearchers and convenient too. They shifted from an area of research that was scientifically saturated into a new area of research investing minimal amount in terms of resources and time.

The discovery of 2D materials has opened up new possibilities, many of which are yet to be researched.