Naturally occurring 2D semiconductor with antiferromagnetic ground state

Abstract

The natural clay mineral vermiculite has been overlooked as a promising candidate for scalable production of large aspect ratio 2D wide band-gap semiconductors. We combine here efficient methods for vermiculite delamination, which provides single nanosheets of ~1 nm thickness. It is demonstrated by experiments and simulations that delaminated vermiculite nanosheets act as semiconductors with a wide band-gap energy of 3.3–3.9 eV depending on the elemental composition, and with an antiferromagnetic ground state, which is crucial for creating advanced 2D devices operating at high frequencies or voltages. This study advances the understanding of vermiculite. With its natural abundance, affordability, non-toxicity, and ability to form high-quality nanosheets, vermiculite is a valuable and sustainable resource for future electronic, spintronic and photonics devices.