2D Materials

Structure and dynamics in 2D, particularly surfaces and interfaces, have long been fields of fruitful research in chemical physics. This field has been profoundly changed since the discovery of graphene. While graphene continues to dazzle the research community with recent discoveries such as superconductivity and highly correlated electron physics, a plethora of other 2D materials have emerged, covering an entire spectrum of electronic properties including metals, semimetals, semiconductors, superconductors, insulators, and ferromagnets. Moreover, the possibility of stacking these 2D materials to create artificial structures, interfaces, and with tunable twisting angles, opens the door to unprecedented control of structure, dynamics, and properties. It is not a stretch to say that we have entered a golden age of research in 2D, as we now possess exquisite control in designing new model systems, exploring new properties, and studying new physical/chemical processes.

This collection will focus on fundamental chemical physics questions, such as charge and energy transfer, coupling of various degrees of freedom (electron, phonon, spin, and photons, etc.), and quantum confinement in 2D materials and interfaces. We aim to understand the uniqueness of these systems from extreme quantum confinement in atomically thin 2D materials, from extended van der Waals interfaces at heterojunctions, from the rich variations in electronic coupling, local symmetry, and topological order in moiré pattern formation. We hope you will be able to join us and make this special issue truly special, with lasting impact to the field of chemical physics in general and 2D materials in particular.