Fluorine speeds up two-dimensional materials growth

Back in 2004, the physics community was just beginning to recognize the existence of truly two-dimensional (2-D) material, graphene. Fast-forward to 2019, and scientists are exploring a breadth of 2-D materials to uncover more of their fundamental properties. The frenzy behind these new 2-D materials lies in their fascinating properties—materials thinned down to only a few atoms work very differently from 3-D materials. Electrons packed into the thinnest-ever layer show distinctive characteristics apart from being in a "loose net." Also being flexible, 2-D materials could feature distinctive electrical properties, opening up new applications for next-generation technologies such as bendable and wearable devices.