Unlocking More Potentials in Two-Dimensional Space: Disorder Engineering in Two-Dimensional Amorphous Carbon

The theory of the nature of glass has been described as the deepest but unsolved problem in solid state theory. The fundamental understanding of the structural characteristics of glassy materials and disorder-property correspondence remains incomplete due to difficulties in fully characterizing disordered structures in three-dimensional materials. Recently, two-dimensional amorphous materials were treated as an atomic-level playground to uncover previously unknown structure-property relationships in vitreous materials. Here, we summarize recent research on one prototypical material, two-dimensional amorphous carbon, including atomic structural characterizations, controllable synthesis, exotic properties, and application potentials. Fundamental discrepancies only induced by the amorphous nature, when compared with crystalline materials, will be highlighted. Finally, we discuss the restricted definition of two-dimensional amorphous carbon, existing challenges, and future research directions.