Magic “K-insertion and unzipping’’ way to form novel 2D ultrathin nanocrystals

Fabrication of 2D ultrathin nanocrystals with rich electronic and band structures from bulk nonlayered structures remains a great challenge. Chen et al. report a novel K-insertion and unzipping'' approach to efficiently break strong chemical bonds between planes and atoms of bulk phase, yet opening up a whole new avenue to construct 2D ultrathin nanocrystals from bulk non-layered structures for various useful applications.