Advances in the Investigation of Energy Pathways During Liquid-Phase Shear Exfoliation of Layered Materials

Liquid-phase shear exfoliation (LPSE) is an efficient and scalable technique for the exfoliation of layered materials. By harnessing fluid shear forces to overcome interlayer van der Waals interactions, LPSE enables the preparation of two-dimensional materials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, hexagonal boron nitride, and so on. This method offers several advantages, including operational simplicity, high yield, low defect density, and environmental compatibility. In recent years, substantial breakthroughs have been achieved in mechanism understanding, process optimization, and application development. With a focus on graphene as a representative system, this review summarizes recent advances in the energy pathways, mechanisms of LPSE of layered materials, and strategies for optimizing energy utilization in LPSE. Particular emphasis is placed on the processes of energy transfer and transformation during shear-induced exfoliation, aiming to deepen the understanding of energy pathways and to guide the future development of shear exfoliation technology from the perspective of energy pathway regulation.