**1. Introduction**

The more novel electronic devices that will be produced in the current century will be made a reality, thanks to the emerging two‐dimensional (2D) nanomaterials based on carbon (C), silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), tin (Sn), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), boron (B), and their

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combinations. Until now, many papers presenting reviews related to 2D materials have been presented [1–5]; however, a direct comparison of these materials for electronic applications is necessary. This study will allow us to know the advantages and disadvantages of 2D materi‐ als for electronic applications. A clear trend related to the choice of these materials for deter‐ mined applications must be established. In this context, a comparison of the physical properties of these materials is used to exploit them from several technical points of view. Moreover, the possible synergy between 2D materials is presented as a strategic way to exploit these materi‐ als completely in more complex applications such as the development of hybrid or multifunc‐ tional materials.

Several 2D materials, such as carbon‐based 2D materials, silicate clays, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and transition metal oxides (TMOs), have been used in electronic devices. Particularly, materials such as graphene, molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), tungsten disulfide (WS2), molybdenum trioxide (MoO3), and silicon carbide (SiC) provide enhanced physical and chemical functionality making use of uniform shapes, high surface‐to‐volume ratios, and surface charge [1–5]. While dichalcogenides and buckled nanomaterials have sizeable band gaps, graphene has zero band gap and they also become semiconducting or metallic materials. These materials are very sensitive to the number of layers, ranging from indirect band‐gap semiconductor in the bulk phase to direct band‐gap semiconductor in monolayers. 2D materials are leading to ubiquitous flexible and transparent electronic systems for applications in integrated circuits, solar cells, and storage energy [2, 4]. Comparison of the performance in electrical and optical properties of 2D materials is presented here.

A few decades ago, the potential of the electronics industry depended entirely on silicon. New materials such as carbon allotropes of the groups III, IV and V are being introduced to increase efficiency, specific capacity, and speed of information processing. Actually, in electronics, 2D materials are used in the manufacture of supercapacitors, batteries, field‐effect transistors (FETs), solar cells, light‐emitting diodes, transparent electrodes, coatings for electrostatic dissipation, and/or electromagnetic interference shielding, etc. The potential of the 2D materials has not been fully discovered yet; however, new potential applications are being invented and others are emerging from the laboratory, which are beneficial for the develop‐ ment of materials science and engineering. The use of 2D materials in the electronic industry will be extended in the design of new electronic devices being applied either individually or as a component within a composite, hybrid, or functional material. This chapter has been divided as follows: Section 2 introduces basic concepts about 2D materials. Graphene and its derivatives are studied in Section 3. Section 4 analyses different allotropes based on chemical elements with the exception of carbon. 2D materials such as hexagonal boron nitride (*h*BN), TMDs, and MXenes are discussed in Section 5. In Section 6, optoelectronic applications are presented. Finally, conclusions about the work are given in Section 7.
