Two-dimensional materials’ “all-surface” architecture presents a new paradigm for investigations into electron confinement effects and surface phenomena. However, synthesizing, characterizing, and ultimately engineering the properties of 2D materials represents a formidable challenge. This thesis presents several cases of isolating novel 2D materials via vapor-based syntheses. Vapor-based syntheses allow for reproducible...
Metallic nanostructures are able to confine and manipulate electromagnetic fields because light can couple to free electron oscillations called surface plasmons (SPs). These plasmons exist on metal surfaces as localized (short-range) or as propagating (long-range) modes depending upon the size and geometry of the nanostructure. This dichotomy is primarily an...