Abstract: Two-dimensional materials now form the basis for a broad and rich field of research bristling with exciting possible applications from photonics to quantum computing and leading to discoveries of new phenomena due to the high customizability of the materials systems and interactions within them. Research in the Hollen lab focuses on understanding the role of defects, disorder, and interlayer interactions in determining the electronic properties of 2D crystals using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). In this talk, I will focus on projects where we are studying the degradation of 2D layers at the atomic scale, the role of dynamics and interlayer interactions in determining a collective ground state, and extending our experimental tools to nanosecond time-resolution.