Symposium EP03: Beyond-Graphene 2D Materials—Synthesis, Properties and Device Applications

Babak Anasori, Drexel University

Synthesis of 2D Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) and Their Applications

Written by Tianyu Liu

MXenes are a large family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides. Since the synthesis of the first MXene, Ti₃C₂, in Drexel University, MXenes have been utilized in a diverse array of applications: electronics, optics, energy storage devices, and catalysts, for example. Babak Anasori from Drexel University overviewed MXenes from the angles of the history, synthesis strategies, processing methods, and new applications demonstrated in 2018. In addition, Anasori revealed that most MXenes, when dispersed in water, were spontaneously oxidized by dissolved oxygen gas. The oxidation decreases the dispersion stability and the electrical conductivity of MXenes. Effective methods to slowdown MXene oxidation include storing MXenes at temperatures below room temperature, enlarging the flake size of MXenes, and processing MXenes into dry films as well as dispersing MXenes in organic solvents. Anasori also discussed unresolved challenges pertaining to MXenes, including measuring the inter-flake electrical conductivity, synthesizing MXenes with functionality-free surfaces, and preparing MXene thin films with chemical or physical vapor deposition techniques.