Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

The past decade has witnessed an extraordinary increase in research progress on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials in the fields of condensed matter physics, materials science, and chemistry after the exfoliation of graphene from graphite in 2004. This unique class of nanomaterials has shown many unprecedented properties and thus is being explored for numerous promising applications. In this Perspective, I briefly review the state of the art in the development of ultrathin 2D nanomaterials and highlight their unique advantages. Then, I discuss the typical synthetic methods and some promising applications of ultrathin 2D nanomaterials together with some personal insights on the challenges in this research area. Finally, on the basis of the current achievement on ultrathin 2D nanomaterials, I give some personal perspectives on potential future research directions.