Clusterphene: A new two-dimensional structure from cluster self-assembly

Since the advent of graphene in 2004, two-dimensional (2D) materials had ignited the development of fascinating functional materials for almost 20 years. Currently, the main members of 2D materials family are graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs, MoS₂, WS₂, and others), MXenes (Ti₃C₂, Ta₄C₃, and others), Xenes (B, Si, P, Ge, and Sn), organic materials (COF, covalent organic frameworks), etc. The unique sheet-like morphology (single- or few-atomic-layer thickness) endow 2D materials with unconventional physicochemical properties for promising applications in catalysis, energy storage/conversion, electronics, biomedicine, sensors, etc. Nevertheless, the exploration and preparation of novel two-dimensional materials with desired characteristics through highly controlled strategy remains one of the major challenges in this field. In a recent work from Nature Chemistry published on 10 February 2022, Liu et al. reported a new member, clusterphene, in the family of two-dimensional materials.