Two-dimensional  layered  materials  (2DLMs) ,  including  van  der  Waals  heterostructures  (vdWHs), intercalated  compounds,  and  superlattices ,  represent  fundamental   building  blocks  for  the   next generation of energy devices as well as (opto-)electronic, spintronic, and quantum technologies due to their remarkable chemical and physical properties.

A  key  challenge  in  this  field  is  the  scalable  synthesis  of  2DLMs  with  high  purity  and  tailored functionalities.   To   address    this,   we   employ    wet-chemistry-based   approaches,    particularly electrochemical  intercalation and exfoliation[1] , to synthesize a wide  range of 2D  materials. An additional advantage of wet chemistry lies in the solution processability of the resulting 2D materials, which enables large-scale device fabrication through various printing technologies, including inkjet and 3D printing.

Among these synthetic routes, electrochemical exfoliation[1] stands out as a promising technique, offering high yield, excellent efficiency, low cost, simple instrumentation, and scalability. By fine- tuning electrochemical parameters, it becomes possible to achieve in-situ functionalization, tunable material properties, and to expand the accessible material library , from graphene to a diverse range of 2D semiconductors[2] , 2D magnets[2] , and beyond.

In this talk, I will take you through our journey , from the early development of electrochemical exfoliation methods for graphene and other 2D materials to their upscaling and integration into electronic, mobility, and energy-storage applications. This research path ultimately led to the establishment of two spin-off companies: one dedicated to the production of 2D materials, and the other focused on developing aqueous zinc-based batteries.

References

[1]   Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1907857.

[2]   ACS Nano 2025, 19, 14, 14309-14317, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202303929, Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1907244; Small 2019, 15, 1901265; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 4677-4681; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 15491-15495.

[3]    G. Wang, X. Feng, A. Shaygan Nia. Electrochemical component and its use, DE102021115802A1

[4]    D. Sabaghi, X. Feng, A. Shaygan Nia. Electrochemical component and its use, DE102023128070.8

[5]   X. Feng, K. Müllen et al. Process for encapsulating metals and metal oxides with graphene and the use of these materials, US8611070B2

Figures

Figure 1: a) Electrochemical exfoliation process to produce 2D materials b) Graphene-based printed battery prototypes

Two-dimensional  layered  materials  (2DLMs) ,  including  van  der  Waals  heterostructures  (vdWHs), intercalated  compounds,  and  superlattices ,  represent  fundamental   building  blocks  for  the   next generation of energy devices as well as (opto-)electronic, spintronic, and quantum technologies due to their remarkable chemical and physical properties.

A  key  challenge  in  this  field  is  the  scalable  synthesis  of  2DLMs  with  high  purity  and  tailored functionalities.   To   address    this,   we   employ    wet-chemistry-based   approaches,    particularly electrochemical  intercalation and exfoliation[1] , to synthesize a wide  range of 2D  materials. An additional advantage of wet chemistry lies in the solution processability of the resulting 2D materials, which enables large-scale device fabrication through various printing technologies, including inkjet and 3D printing.

Among these synthetic routes, electrochemical exfoliation[1] stands out as a promising technique, offering high yield, excellent efficiency, low cost, simple instrumentation, and scalability. By fine- tuning electrochemical parameters, it becomes possible to achieve in-situ functionalization, tunable material properties, and to expand the accessible material library , from graphene to a diverse range of 2D semiconductors[2] , 2D magnets[2] , and beyond.

In this talk, I will take you through our journey , from the early development of electrochemical exfoliation methods for graphene and other 2D materials to their upscaling and integration into electronic, mobility, and energy-storage applications. This research path ultimately led to the establishment of two spin-off companies: one dedicated to the production of 2D materials, and the other focused on developing aqueous zinc-based batteries.

References

[1]   Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1907857.

[2]   ACS Nano 2025, 19, 14, 14309-14317, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2023, 62, e202303929, Adv. Mater. 2020, 32, 1907244; Small 2019, 15, 1901265; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 4677-4681; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 15491-15495.

[3]    G. Wang, X. Feng, A. Shaygan Nia. Electrochemical component and its use, DE102021115802A1

[4]    D. Sabaghi, X. Feng, A. Shaygan Nia. Electrochemical component and its use, DE102023128070.8

[5]   X. Feng, K. Müllen et al. Process for encapsulating metals and metal oxides with graphene and the use of these materials, US8611070B2

Figures

Figure 1: a) Electrochemical exfoliation process to produce 2D materials b) Graphene-based printed battery prototypes