Recent development of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides and their applications

Recent advances in atomically thin two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) have led to a variety of promising technologies for nanoelectronics, photonics, sensing, energy storage, and opto-electronics, to name a few. This article reviews the recent progress in 2D materials beyond graphene and includes mainly transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) (e.g. MoS₂, WS₂, MoSe₂, and WSe₂). These materials are finding niche applications for next-generation electronics and optoelectronics devices relying on ultimate atomic thicknesses. Albeit several challenges in developing scalable and defect-free TMDs on desired substrates, new growth techniques compatible with traditional and unconventional substrates have been developed to meet the ever-increasing demand of high quality and controllability for practical applications. The fabrication of novel 2D TMDs that exhibit exotic functionalities and fundamentally new chemistry is highlighted. And finally, in parallel with the electronics, the considerable effort devoted to using these materials for energy and sensing applications is discussed in detail.