The Fascinating World of Two-Dimensional Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes)

Prof. Yury Gogotsi (Drexel University, USA) held the lecture “The Fascinating World of Two-Dimensional Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes)” on June 8^th 2023. Prof. Yury Gogotsi is a distinguished University and Charles T. and Ruth M. Bach Professor and Director of A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute. His group was responsible for the discovery of this very interesting 2D materials in 2011.

Lecture abstract:

Discovery of new materials provides moments of inspiration and shifts in understanding, shaping the dynamic field of materials science. Following the graphene breakthrough, many other 2D materials emerged. Although many of them remain subjects of purely academic interest, others have jumped into the limelight due to their attractive properties, which have led to practical applications. Among the latter are 2D carbides, nitrides, oxycarbides and carbonitrides of transition metals known as MXenes. The family of MXenes has been expanding rapidly since our discovery of Ti₃C₂ in 2011. More than 30 different stoichiometric MXenes, dozens of solid solutions and high-entropy compositions have been reported, and the structure and properties of numerous other MXenes have been predicted. Moreover, the availability of solid solutions on M and X sites, multi-element high-entropy MXenes, control of surface terminations, and the discovery of out-of-plane ordered double-M o-MXenes (e.g., Mo₂TiC₂), as well as in-plane ordered i-MAX phases and their i-MXenes offer the potential for producing dozens of new distinct structures. This presentation will describe the state of the art in the synthesis of MXenes, their delamination into single-layer 2D flakes, and assembly into films, fibers and 3D structures. Synthesis-structure-properties relations of MXenes will be addressed on the example of Ti₃C₂. The versatile chemistry of the MXene family renders their properties tunable for a large variety of applications. Many MXenes offer high electronic conductivity and surface redox activity. As a result, they can also be used in electrochemical energy storage, electrocatalysis, telecommunication, healthcare, and electronic device applications. In particular, the interaction of MXenes with electromagnetic waves can be controlled via their composition and structure. 

Since MXenes are most recently in the focus of material science research of BioSense Institute, Dr Slavica Savić as team member of MicroLabAptaSens project, participated in the event.