Recent Progress in the Preparation, Assembly, Transformation, and Applications of Layer-Structured Nanodisks beyond Graphene

Layered nanodisks with confined thickness and lateral size have been emerging as a unique type of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials in recent years. Inheriting some properties of 2D nanosheets and meanwhile possessing the size-confinement effect, these layered nanodisks exhibit unique optical, electronic, and chemical properties, which endow them with great promise in a wide range of applications. Here, the recent progress of layered nanodisks is introduced. The synthetic strategies, assembly, structural/compositional transformation, and applications of layered nanodisks are systematically described and discussed, with emphasis on their new appealing structures and functions. Finally, some perspectives and future research directions of this promising field are given.