What exotic properties do 2D materials beyond graphene possess?

The answer

Beyond graphene, researchers have isolated hundreds of two-dimensional materials with extraordinary properties. Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) serves as an atomically smooth insulator for graphene electronics. Transition metal dichalcogenides like molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) have direct bandgaps ideal for transistors and LEDs, unlike graphene which lacks a bandgap. When two graphene sheets are stacked at a 'magic angle' of 1.1 degrees, they become superconducting - a 2018 discovery by Pablo Jarillo-Herrero at MIT. MXenes, discovered at Drexel University, combine metals with carbon or nitrogen for exceptional electromagnetic shielding and energy storage. Phosphorene, black phosphorus's 2D form, has a tunable bandgap. The Materials Cloud database now catalogs over 5,000 predicted stable 2D materials awaiting experimental synthesis.