Synthesized by researchers at the University of Leeds, the material, which is one million times thinner than a human fingernail, is seen to have potential applications in the electronics and medical industries, as well as in industrial chemical processes.

According to lead author Sunjie Ye, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Leeds' Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, their work on the 2D gold nanosheet is a landmark achievement, as it not only opens up the possibility of using gold in existing technologies, it also provides a route for other materials scientists who wish to conduct similar experiments with other metals in the future.

"This method could innovate nanomaterial manufacturing," Ye said of their final product, which is considered to be the thinnest unsupported gold product ever created.