Brighter molybdenum layers: The confined layers of molybdenum disulphide (MoS ₂ ) exhibit photoluminescence that is attractive for optolectronic applications. In practice, efficiencies are low, presumably because defects trap excitons before they can recombine and radiate light. Amani et al. show that treatment of monolayer MoS ₂ with a nonoxidizing organic superacid, bis(trifluoromethane) sulfonimide, increased luminescence efficiency in excess of 95%. The enhancement mechanism may be related to the shielding of defects, such as sulfur vacancies. Science , this issue p. 1065

Vertical integration of two-dimensional van der Waals materials is predicted to lead to novel electronic and optical properties not found in the constituent layers. Here, we present the direct synthesis of two unique, atomically thin, multi-junction heterostructures by combining graphene with the monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides: molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), molybdenum diselenide (MoSe₂) and tungsten diselenide (WSe₂). The realization of MoS₂–WSe₂–graphene and WSe₂–MoS₂–graphene heterostructures leads to resonant tunnelling in an atomically thin stack with spectrally narrow, room temperature negative differential resistance characteristics.