2D materials have been gaining ever increasing attention over the past decade with graphene the most prominent example although more than 200 similarly structured materials have been described. The interest lies in the profoundly different properties that these atomically thin crystals have that are distinct from the corresponding 3D or bulk materials. Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a crystalline hexagonal lattice that has remarkable strength, outstanding electron mobility and high thermal conductivity. This has led to extraordinary interest from academics and industry with potential applications in composites, energy, water, defence, electronics and biomedicine. Other 2D materials such as the semi-conductor MoS₂ and thermoelectric Bi₂Te₃ are also gathering increasing attention. In this presentation, the state of commercialization of 2D materials will be presented cutting through the hype. Current challenges particularly in the biological sciences and technology areas will be in focus. Recent studies on interactions of 2D materials with cells and bacteria as well as drug delivery applications will be discussed.

Assoc Prof Notley obtained his PhD in 2002 from the University of Newcastle. Following post-doc studies in Sweden at Mitt-Universitetet and KTH, he returned to Australia to take up a research position at Dept of Applied Maths, RSPE in 2004. Notley was awarded an ARC Future Fellowship in 2010 and spent three years at Swinburne University of Technology before once again returning to the ANU at the beginning of 2015. Aside from his research focus, Notley is also pursuing numerous commercialization opportunities related to 2D materials.