  Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted a great deal of interest in
recent years. This family of materials allows for the realization of versatile
electronic devices and holds promise for next-generation (opto)electronics.
Their electronic properties strongly depend on the number of layers, making
them interesting from a fundamental standpoint. For electronic applications,
semiconducting 2D materials benefit from sizable mobilities and large on/off
ratios, due to the large modulation achievable via the gate field-effect.
Moreover, being mechanically strong and flexible, these materials can withstand
large strain (>10\%) before rupture, making them interesting for strain
engineering and flexible devices. Even in their single layer form,
semiconducting 2D materials have demonstrated efficient light absorption,
enabling large responsivity in photodetectors. Therefore, semiconducting
layered 2D materials are strong candidates for optoelectronic applications,
especially for photodetection. Here, we review the state-of-the-art in
photodetectors based on semiconducting 2D materials, focusing on the transition
metal dichalcogenides, novel van der Waals materials, black phosphorus, and
heterostructures.
