Wired Up: Interconnecting Two-Dimensional Materials with One-Dimensional Atomic Chains

Atomic wires are chains of atoms sequentially bonded together and epitomize the structural form of a one-dimensional (1D) material. In graphene, they form as interconnects between regions when the nanoconstriction eventually becomes so narrow that it is reduced to one atom thick. In this issue of ACS Nano, Cretu et al. extend the discovery of 1D atomic wire interconnects in two-dimensional (2D) materials to hexagonal boron nitride. We highlight recent progress in the area of 1D atomic wires within 2D materials, with a focus on their atomic-level structural analysis using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy. We extend this discussion to the formation of nanowires in transition metal dichalcogenides under similar electron-beam irradiation conditions. The future outlook for atomic wires is considered in the context of new 2D materials and hybrids of C, B, and N.