Unlocking the Potential: Atomically Thin 2D Fluoritene from Exfoliated Fluorite Ore and Its Electrochemical Activity

Fluorite mineral holds significant importance because of its optoelectronic properties and wide range of applications. Here, we report the successful exfoliation of bulk fluorite ore (calcium fluoride, CaF₂) crystals into atomically thin two-dimensional fluoritene (2D CaF₂) using a highly scalable liquid-phase exfoliation method. The microscopic and spectroscopy characterizations show the formation of (111) plane-oriented 2D CaF₂ sheets with exfoliation-induced material strain due to bond breaking, leading to the changes in lattice parameter. Its potential role in electrocatalysis is further explored for deeper insight, and a probable mechanism is also discussed. The 2D CaF₂ with long-term stability shows overpotential values of 670 and 770 mV vs RHE for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, at 10 mA cm^-2. Computational simulations demonstrate the unique "direct-indirect" band gap switching with odd and even numbers of layers. Current work offers new avenues for exploring the structural and electrochemical properties of 2D CaF₂ and its potential applicability.