Review of the role of ionic liquids in two-dimensional materials

Ionic liquids (ILs) are expected to be used as readily available “designer” solvents, characterized by a number of tunable properties that can be obtained by modulating anion and cation combinations and ion chain lengths. Among them, its high ionicity is outstanding in the preparation and property modulation of two-dimensional (2D) materials. In this review, we mainly focus on the ILs-assisted exfoliation of 2D materials towards large-scale as well as functionalization. Meanwhile, electric-field controlled ILs-gating of 2D material systems have shown novel electronic, magnetic, optical and superconducting properties, attracting a broad range of scientific research activities. Moreover, ILs have also been extensively applied in various field practically. We summarize the recent developments of ILs modified 2D material systems from the electrochemical, solar cells and photocatalysis aspects, discuss their advantages and possibilities as “designer solvent”. It is believed that the design of ILs accompanying with diverse 2D materials will not only solve several scientific problems but also enrich materials design and engineer of 2D materials.