Abstract
The isolation of graphene in 2004 by peeling apart the atomically-thin sheets that comprise graphite was a
defining moment for the “birth” of a field: Two-dimensional (2D) materials. In recent years, there has
been a rapidly increasing number of papers focusing on non-graphene layered materials, including
transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), because of the new properties and applications that emerge
upon 2D confinement. Here we review significant recent advances and important new developments in
2D materials “beyond graphene”. We provide insight into the theoretical modeling and understanding of
the van der Waals forces that hold together the 2D layers in bulk solids, as well as their excitonic
properties and growth morphologies. Additionally, we highlight recent breakthroughs in TMD synthesis
and characterization and discuss the newest families of 2D materials, including monoelement 2D
materials (i.e., silicene, phosphorene, etc.) and transition metal carbide- and carbon nitride-based
MXenes. We then discuss the doping and functionalization of 2D materials beyond graphene, which
enable device applications, followed by advances in electronic, optoelectronic, and magnetic devices and
theory. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future of 2D materials beyond graphene.
