Factors Governing the Chemical Stability of Shear-Exfoliated ZnSe(alkylamine) II–VI Layered Hybrids

Advances in the production of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and MoS2 during the past two decades have spurred the search for other van der Waals materials with distinct functional properties. However, reducing the dimensionality of bulk van der Waals materials can lead to structural rearrangement and chemical degradation, especially in the presence of air. These challenges have slowed the progress of the discovery and analysis of chemically diverse 2D materials. Here, we provide a case study on the shear exfoliation of a class of wide band gap van der Waals materials termed II–VI layered hybrids (II–VI LHs) and show how reducing their dimension influences their structural and chemical stabilities. ZnSe(butylamine) and ZnSe(octylamine) are exfoliated, yielding shear-thinned material whose resistance toward degradation via oxidation is studied in depth by a variety of macro- and microscopic characterization techniques. Mechanical energy input, solvent–ligand interaction, and exposure to ambient conditions all play important roles in the stability of these materials. Our findings suggest that moderately coordinating alkylamine layers stabilize 2D materials that would otherwise degrade during exfoliation and exposure to air.