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My interest in chemistry came through working on graphene and two-dimensional materials. I realised that their true potential could be fully unleashed only through chemistry. Chemical synthesis of 2D materials in solution enabled me and my group to develop printable inks with 2D materials and demonstrate that electronic devices and circuits can be printed, outperforming state-of-the-art printed electronics.

Knowledge and understanding – the excitement of a serendipitous discovery during an experiment or the "eureka" moment after strenuous weeks of data analysis. Ultimately, realising that the discoveries made in the lab could one day have an impact on society and improve the lives of others is a strong motivation to do research.

The three ‘C’s’: be curious, be creative, be collaborative. These are key aspects I would advise to follow for a career in chemistry. In addition, I found very important in my career being determined and critical of your work and that of the other researchers.

The family of 2D materials is very large. My work and the work of my team paved the way to understanding how printed electronics work with 2D material inks. Researchers worldwide are now using our results to develop high-performance printed electronics for more sustainable and ubiquitous electronics in the future. This has a strong potential to enable wearable electronic devices and electronic textiles for healthcare, energy and quantum technologies.

Certainly, an important highlight for me was the demonstration of printed transistors with graphene and 2D materials. The results of this work enabled us to understand how charge carriers move across networks of 2D materials and opened the way to the entire field of printed electronics with 2D material inks.