Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), a promising two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide, presents a challenge in the tuning of its optoelectronic and chemical properties. Herein, we demonstrate an efficient route to alter the crystalline structure of MoS2 by chemical exfoliation. Using NaK metal alloys, exfoliated and covalently functionalized MoS2 derivatives were obtained with a high metallic (1T) phase ratio, up to 94.5%. Consequently, exfoliated MoS2 showed a significant surface-enhanced Raman scattering activity toward rhodamine 6G (R6G) and crystal violet, with low detection limits. The versatility of this approach allows the covalent functionalization of MoS2 without relying on edge or basal-plane defects of the structure and preserving the high-ratio 1T phase.

Reductive benzylation of C60 imidazoline with a bulky addend affords two 1,2,3,16-adducts (2 and 4) and one 1,2,3,4-adduct (3). Experimental and computational results indicate that the sterically favored 2 is more stable than the electronically favored 3. However, an opposite stability order is shown for the dianions of 2 and 3.

During the last 15 years, 2D materials have revolutionized the field of materials science. Moreover, because of their highest surface‐to‐volume ratio and properties extremely susceptible to their interaction with the local environment they became powerful active components for the development the high‐performance chemical sensors. By combining different 2D materials to form van der Waals heterostructures (VDWHs) it is possible to overcome the drawback of individual materials (such as inertness and zero‐bandgap of pristine graphene and less environmental stability of transition metal dichalcogenides). Meanwhile, VDWHs possess unprecedented and fascinating properties arising from the intimate interaction between the components, which can yield superior sensitivities, higher selectivity, and stability when employed to detect gases, biomolecules, and other organic/inorganic molecules. Herein, the latest developments and advances in the field of chemical sensors based on VDWH of 2D materials, with specific insight into the sensing mechanisms, are reviewed and future directions, challenges, and opportunities for the development of the next generation of (bio)chemical sensors with potential impact in environmental sciences and biomedical applications, and more specifically in (bio)chemical defense, industrial safety, food, and environmental surveillance, and medical (early) diagnostics, are discussed.

Aerobic oxidations of dianionic C(60) were examined in PhCN and PhCH(2)CN, where dioxygen was activated to O(2)(•-) via the single-electron transfer from C(60)(2-) and underwent oxygenation and dehydrogenation reactions, respectively. Addition of PhCH(2)Br led to further benzylation for the oxygenated product but not for the dehydrogenated one, suggesting that the initial two negative charges were preserved for the intermediates of the oxygenation reaction but not for those of the dehydrogenation reaction.