Changing our material future, layer by layer

Researchers are aiming to develop a new class of materials with remarkable properties using one atom-thick substances such as graphene and other two dimensional crystals in a new collaborative project. The proposal, which will involve researchers from the Universities of Manchester, Cambridge and Lancaster, has been awarded 13.4 million Euros (around £11m) to form a “Synergy Group” by the European Research Council (ERC).

The Synergy Group will aim to utilise two-dimensional substances to engineer new types of materials which are just a few atoms thick, but nevertheless have the power to revolutionise the future development of devices such as solar cells, and flexible and transparent electronics.
 
Starting with one atom-thick substances which possess remarkable properties, the group will focus on ways in which they can be layered up to form ‘heterostructures’. These heterostructures will still be just a few atoms thick, but will combine the properties of the different two-dimensional materials which comprise them, effectively enabling developers to embed the functions of a device into its very fabric.

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Image: Detail from a hybrid three-dimensional heterostructure consisting of graphene, boron nitride and molybdenum disulphide in two dimensional layers. Such heterostructures will be the focus of the new synergy group, with significant implications for numerous industries.
Credit: Andrea Ferrari

Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge

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