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Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as graphene, boron nitride (BN), and molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) have been attracting increasing research interest in the past few years due to their unique material properties. However, the lack of a reliable large-scale production method is an inhibiting issue for their practical applications. Here we report a facile, efficient, and scalable method for the fabrication of monolayer and few-layer BN, MoS 2 , and graphene using combined low-energy ball milling and sonication. Ball milling generates two forces on layered materials, shear force and compression force, which can cleave layered materials into 2D nanosheets from the top/bottom surfaces, and the edge of layered materials. Subsequent sonication would further break larger crystallites into smaller crystallites. These fabricated 2D nanosheets can be well dispersed in aqueous solutions at high concentrations, 1.2 mg mL À1 for BN, 0.8 mg mL À1 for MoS 2 , and 0.9 mg mL À1 for graphene, which are highly advantageous over other methods. These advantages render great potential in the construction of high-performance 2D material-based devices at low cost. For example, a prototype gas sensor is demonstrated in our study using graphene and MoS 2 , respectively, which can detect several ppm of ammonia gas.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets have been attracting increasing research interests due to their unique material properties. However, the lack of a reliable large‐scale production method impedes their practical applications. Here a facile, efficient, and scalable method for the fabrication of high‐concentration aqueous dispersion of MoS2 nanosheets using combined grinding and sonication is reported. The 26.7 ± 0.7 mg/mL concentration achieved is the highest concentration in an aqueous solution reported up to now. Grinding generates pure shear forces to detach the MoS2 layers from the bulk materials. Subsequent sonication further breaks larger crystallites into smaller crystallites, which promotes the dispersion of MoS2 nanosheets in ethanol/water solutions. The exfoliation process establishes a new paradigm in the top‐down fabrication of 2D nanosheets in aqueous solution. In the meantime, MoS2‐based sensing film produced using this approach has successfully demonstrated the feasibility of a low‐cost and efficient NH3 gas sensor using inkjet printing as a viable method.