Recent progress in two-dimensional materials: From emerging structures and synthesis approaches to electronic and sensing applications

The emergence of two-dimensional (2D) materials marks a transformative leap in materials science, offering unprecedented opportunities for innovation across electronics, optoelectronics, sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine. However, the intrinsic properties related to electronic configuration, mobility, and stability limited their device and integration for real-world application. Apart from conventional 2D materials, the recent advancements in emerging structures (e.g., chiral-chain, anion-mixed configuration, Cairo pentagon, Janus structures, etc.) showcase diverse compositions, novel architectures, and remarkable physicochemical properties. These material with emerging structures presenting abundant valence electrons, topology and quantum properties, high carrier mobility and air stability, have afforded the materials with great prospects in application. This review focuses on the forefront of 2D material development, encompassing innovative synthesis techniques, alongside a critical exploration of their structure-property relationships. Special attention is given to their versatile applications in electronic devices (e.g., field-effect transistors and memory devices) and sensors (e.g., photodetectors, gas sensors, and biosensors), with insights into the design principles enabling excellent device performance. Finally, we identify the persisting challenges in material production, scalability, and application, while the expanding 2D material family promotes the development of next-generation 2D integrated circuits, neuromorphic computing, and advanced sensor.