ABSTRACT
An impressive progress in graphene research has raised questions
for other examples of 2D materials with distinct and useful
properties. Preliminary results obtained in this new field of
knowledge paved the way to an entire world of 2D crystals. Atomic
monolayer materials (AMMs) forming 2D atomic crystals have
been widely investigated owing to their remarkable mechanical,
thermal, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties. Examples
of 2D layered materials include hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN),
transition metal dichalcogenides, the chalcogenides of group III,
group IV, and group V, transition metal oxides, tertiary compounds
of carbonitrides, and other traditionally nonlayered structures such
as germananes (atomic layers of germanium) and silicenes (silicon-
based layered structures). The corresponding atomic structure is
shown in Fig. 11.1.
