Symposium Y, 'Functional Two-Dimensional Layered Materials', held at the 2011 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California, April 25−29, was the first MRS symposium to focus on graphene, topological insulator thin films and other 2D and quasi-2D materials together, aiming to highlight breakthroughs, progress and challenges in the synthesis, processing, structure and assembly of 2D layered materials and how these factors affect their properties and applications. The session topics included: materials synthesis and processing; structure and characterization; physical and chemical properties; electronic, thermal management and energy applications; topological insulators; and non-carbon 2D materials. This volume presents a selection of the papers given and provides an overview of the research topics and possible applications of 2D materials and related systems.