1 + 1 does not equal 2 for graphene-like 2-D materials

Physicists from the University of Sheffield have discovered that when two atomically thin graphene-like materials are placed on top of each other their properties change, and a material with novel hybrid properties emerges, paving the way for design of new materials and nano-devices.

This happens without physically mixing the two atomic layers, nor through a chemical reaction, but by attaching the layers to each other via aweakso called van der Waals interaction—similar to how a sticky tape attaches to a flat surface.

In the ground-breaking study published in Nature, scientists have also found that the properties of the new hybrid material can be precisely controlled by twisting the two stacked atomic layers, opening the way for the use of this unique degree of freedom for the nano-scale control of composite materials and nano-devices in future technologies.