Graphene & 2D Materials

Nanoscale structures are of great interest both for basic science and for potential technological applications. In particular, when two or more nanostructures are combined together, the resulting architecture – i.e., a nanoscale heterostructure

– may exhibit new properties that are different from those of the individual components. The advent of two-dimensional materials has provided the ideal platforms where such heterostructures can be envisioned. Notably, owing to their similar lattice parameters but complementary electronic properties, graphene and hexagonal boron nitride are with no doubt the optimal building blocks for fabricating novel nanoscale heterostructures. However, the ability to fabricate nanoscale domains in two-dimensional materials is extremely challenging, and a reliable synthesis protocol is still unavailable. Here, I will review the current progress in the field, with particular attention to the reports about formation of planar heterostructures, i.e. architectures where two individual two-dimensional materials are integrated within a single atomically thin sheet.