Editorial for a special issue on graphene and 2D alternative materials: From preparation to potential applications

The isolation of graphene and subsequent studies showed that obtaining atomically thin crystalline sheets was feasible and possessed extraordinary properties. This result opened the door to an entirely new family of materials known as two-dimensional or 2D materials. Research in this field is intense: the emergence of new 2D materials, the properties of their combinations and the ability of graphene to reinvent itself,