Developing New 2D Materials and Heterostructures for Printed Digital Devices

2D-PRINTABLE aims at using sustainable liquid exfoliation methods to make >40 new 2D-materials (2DMs) and to develop printing and liquid-deposition methods to fabricate nanosheet (NS) networks and heterostructures with unique properties to enable the production of advanced printed digital devices, in perfect alignment with the expected outcomes of the work program. To identify new 2DMs, we will use modelling to survey thousands of possible 2DMs to identify those with superlative electronic properties (conductors, semiconductors, insulators). Layered crystals of these target materials will be synthesized and converted to NSs using various liquid exfoliation techniques. Chemical functionalization will be used to modify and tune NS properties, and to achieve in-situ chemical cross linking. We will develop a range of printing and deposition methods to produce NS networks, employing both physical and chemical routes for strong coupling between adjacent NSs, leading to extremely low junction resistance and hence exceptional network mobility. Going further, we will print/deposit networks of different NSs on top of each other leading to heterostructures with strongly-coupled interfaces for efficient charge injection and transfer. These will be the basis for a range of printed electronic devices (transistors, solar cells or LEDs) with very high performance because of the superlative nanosheet properties, the quality of interfaces and the facile nature of inter-nanosheet charge transfer. For example, we expect to produce printed transistors with gate capacitance >0.4 mF/cm2, transconductance >0.1 mS/sq, Ion/Ioff ratio >10e6, mobility ~100 cm2/Vs with the latter value x10-100 times greater than the state-of-the-art in printed electronics. The knowledge developed in 2D-PRINTABLE will be instrumental for future emerging technologies in energy storage, health and environmental monitoring as well as water purification, to ultimately address most of today’s global challenges.