Two dimensional (2D) single crystal layered transition materials have had extensive consideration owing to their interesting magnetic properties, originating from their lattices and strong spin–orbit coupling, which make them of vital importance for spintronic applications. Herein, we present synthesis of a highly crystalline tungsten diselenide layered single crystal grown by chemical vapor transport technique and doped with nickel (Ni) to tailor its magnetic properties. The pristine WSe ₂ single crystal and Ni-doped crystal were characterized and analyzed for magnetic properties using both experimental and computational aspects. It was found that the magnetic behavior of the 2D layered WSe ₂ crystal changed from diamagnetic to ferromagnetic after Ni-doping at all tested temperatures. Moreover, first principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations further confirmed the origin of room temperature ferromagnetism of Ni-doped WSe ₂ , where the d -orbitals of the doped Ni atom promoted the spin moment and thus largely contributed to the magnetism change in the 2D layered material.

Atomic intercalation in two-dimensional (2D) layered materials can be used to engineer the electronic structure at the atomic scale and generate tuneable physical and chemical properties which are quite distinct in comparison with the pristine material. Among them, electron-doped engineering induced by intercalation is an efficient route to modulate electronic states in 2D layers. Herein, we demonstrate a semiconducting to metallic phase transition in zirconium diselenide (ZrSe₂) single crystals via controllable incorporation of copper (Cu) atoms. Our angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) measurements and first-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations clearly revealed the emergence of conduction band dispersion at the M/L point of the Brillouin zone due to Cu-induced electron doping in ZrSe₂ interlayers. Moreover, electrical measurements in ZrSe₂ revealed semiconducting behavior, while the Cu-intercalated ZrSe₂ exhibited a linear current–voltage curve with metallic character. The atomic intercalation approach may have high potential for realizing transparent electron-doping systems for many specific 2D-based nanoelectronic applications.