Researchers are unlocking the secrets of two-dimensional materials by cleverly manipulating their structure, and a new study published today details a significant breakthrough in understanding charge-density waves and superconductivity. Huanhuan Shi, Qili Li, and Antoine M. T. Baron, all from the Institute for Quantum Materials and Technologies at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, alongside Marie-Aude Méasson and Sangjun Kang et al., demonstrate a novel method of ‘molecular intercalation’ to create bulk materials exhibiting properties typically found only in single atomic layers of niobium diselenide. By inserting organic cations between the layers, the team electronically decouples them, effectively recreating monolayer-like physics in a robust, easily studied…