title: Ionic solutions of two-dimensional materials.
abstract: Strategies for forming liquid dispersions of nanomaterials typically focus on retarding reaggregation, for example via surface modification, as opposed to promoting the thermodynamically driven dissolution common for molecule-sized species. Here we demonstrate the true dissolution of a wide range of important 2D nanomaterials by forming layered material salts that spontaneously dissolve in polar solvents yielding ionic solutions. The benign dissolution advantageously maintains the morphology of the starting material, is stable against reaggregation and can achieve solutions containing exclusively individualized monolayers. Importantly, the charge on the anionic nanosheet solutes is reversible, enables targeted deposition over large areas via electroplating and can initiate novel self-assembly upon drying. Our findings thus reveal a unique solution-like behaviour for 2D materials that enables their scalable production and controlled manipulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Kathleen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Mohammed K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Bin Subhan
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: Loren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Picco
authors.affiliation: Interface Analysis Centre, H. H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TL, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Payton
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.|Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Cambridge Graphene Centre, 9 JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0FA, UK.
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Neal T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Skipper
authors.affiliation: Institute of Materials, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Vasiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tileli
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics &Astronomy, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Howard