  Phyllosilicate minerals are an emerging class of naturally occurring layered
insulators with large bandgap energy that have gained attention from the
scientific community. This class of lamellar materials has been recently
explored at the ultrathin two-dimensional level due to their specific
mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optoelectronic properties, which are
crucial for engineering novel devices (including heterostructures). Due to
these properties, phyllosilicates minerals can be considered promising low-cost
nanomaterials for future applications. In this Perspective article, we will
present relevant features of these materials for their use in potential
2D-based electronic and optoelectronic applications, also discussing some of
the major challenges in working with them.
