PPubMed14 May 2026

Graphene and Other 2D Layered Nanomaterials and Hybrid Structures: Past, Present, and Future Directions

Paolo Negro, Domenica Scarano, Federico Cesano

Abstract

As highlighted in the previous Special Issue, the field of 2D materials has already moved well beyond its original graphene-centred boundaries . Since 2022, a number of reports have led to significant advancements in the field of 2D materials research. In contrast to simply adding variants of known layered compounds, these studies have introduced new classes of atomically thin matter, including covalent fullerene sheets, elemental ferroelectric layers, monatomic metallic sheets, high-entropy 2D compounds, crystalline 2D polymers, and correlated 2D metal-organic frameworks. A great development

A figure from Graphene and Other 2D Layered Nanomaterials and Hybrid Structures: Past, Present, and Future Directions — fig. from the paper

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The editorial reviews recent breakthroughs in 2D materials, including new material classes, computational discovery of thousands of hidden layers, and diverse applications showcased in a special issue.

What’s new

i.Identification of emerging 2D material families such as covalent fullerene sheets, elemental ferroelectric monolayers, and high‑entropy dichalcogenides.
ii.Large‑scale computational screening revealing 119 exfoliable precursors (42 stable 2D materials) and 8,889 hidden 2D motifs in ternary compounds.
iii.Demonstration of application‑focused studies in the special issue, covering fluoride remediation, lithium recovery, Pb‑free perovskite solar cells, gold intercalation, and g‑C₃N₄ photocatalysis.

How they did it

Authors surveyed recent experimental syntheses and theoretical studies from 2022‑2025, summarizing key advances in material design and computational discovery. They also compiled and highlighted five original research papers in the special issue that illustrate practical applications of 2D materials.

What they found

qHP‑C₆₀ monolayer synthesized as a covalent fullerene sheet with a moderate band gap.
BP‑Bi monolayer exhibits in‑plane ferroelectricity with spontaneous polarization.
(MoWReMnCr)S₂ high‑entropy dichalcogenide functions as an efficient hydrogen‑evolution electrocatalyst.
Computational study identified 119 chemically exfoliable layered precursors corresponding to 42 distinct stable 2D materials.
Topological decoding uncovered 8,889 hidden 2D motifs and 1,083 ternary oxides promising for proton‑exchange exfoliation.
Pb‑free perovskite solar cell simulation achieved 6.06% conversion efficiency, 0.76 V open‑circuit voltage, 12.26 mA cm⁻² short‑circuit current, and ~65% fill factor.

Caveats

✕Ab initio calculations indicate that an ideal Au monolayer is only metastable.
✕Standard distance‑based screening algorithms miss many embedded 2D structural units.
✕High‑entropy 2D materials may face inherent instability in the low‑dimensional limit.
✕Simulated perovskite solar cell efficiency remains modest (6.06%) compared to commercial devices.

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