Properties and Characterization

Our research group has done extensive work on the characterization of MXenes, investigating properties under different conditions to understand the true potential of MXenes over time. This helps to understand how their potential can be maximized in a variety of applications. Current characterization studies focus on infrared properties, electronic characteristics, and the stability of MXene films over time. 

  1. Infrared potential of MXenes: Specific work is being done on the infrared (IR) properties of MXenes. Our lab is currently pursuing research focusing on the IR shielding properties of MXenes including IR heating and IR cooling. There is additional work being done on the parametric Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) study of various MXenes.
  2. Electronic MXene characteristics: Our group has done new work to examine the electronic characteristics of pristine MXenes. Further work has investigated the behavior of water confined within pristine MXene layers.
  3. Prolonged stability of MXene films: Over time, oxidation and interlayer water can cause degradation in the electrical stability of MXene films. More recent MXene films have been synthesized in ways to mitigate these effects, but there is a misconception that MXenes are unstable due to the properties of the earliest MXenes. Our lab is conducting a characterization study of samples between roughly 2 and 7 years old to show that they can retain most of their conductivity if synthesized correctly and can even recover lost conductivity.

K. Shevchuk, A. Sarycheva, Y. Gogotsi. Evaluation of two-dimensional transition-metal carbides and carbonitrides (MXenes) for SERS substrates. MRS Bulletin 2022 

Leading group members: Katya Sevchuk, Tetiana Hryhorchuk, Teng Zhang, Stefano Ippolito