Noble-metal chalcogenides, dichalcogenides and phosphochalcogenides are an emerging class of two-dimensional materials. Their properties can be broadly tuned via quantum confinement (number of layers) and defect engineering, including metal-to-semiconductor transitions, magnetic ordering, and topological surface states. They possess various polytypes, often of similar formation energy, which can be assessed by selective synthesis approaches. They excel in mechanical, optical and chemical sensing applications, and feature long-term air- and moisture stability. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the field of noble metal chalcogenides and phosphochalcogenides and highlight the structural complexity and its impact on applications.
Spin-orbit interaction and Dirac cones ind-orbital noble metal surface states