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Techniques for MXene Delamination into Single-Layer Flakes

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2D Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes)

Abstract

Similar to other two-dimensional (2D) materials, single-layer and few-layer MXene flakes have significantly different physiochemical properties compared to their multilayered counterparts. 2D MXene flakes offer high surface area to volume ratio, tunable functional surfaces, high electrical conductivity, and excellent mechanical properties. These properties have rendered different MXene compositions as promising materials for a wide variety of applications, such as electrochemical energy storage devices, electromagnetic interference shielding, water purification, and sensors, to name a few. MXenes are usually produced through a selective etching and liquid exfoliation process in which “A” layer atoms of MAX phases, a large group of ternary carbides and nitrides, is selectively removed in fluoride containing acidic solutions. This process, in most cases, results in multilayered MXene particles (stacks of many single-layer MXene flakes) that need to be delaminated to produce single/few layer flakes. Delamination of multilayered MXenes usually involves chemical intercalation of MXenes with large organic molecules to increase their interlayer spacing, and therefore, significantly reducing the attraction between individual MXene layers. For some MXenes, intercalated particles can be readily delaminated to individual flakes by rigorous shaking or weak sonication of their water dispersions. For some MXenes, such as Ti3C2Tx, the synthesis process has evolved over the past few years and through modification of the etchants, the etching and delamination steps are combined into a single process, and the exfoliated MXenes can be directly delaminated into single-layer flakes. This chapter provides a comprehensive account of various MXene exfoliation and delamination techniques reported in the literature so far. At the end of this chapter, we have briefly discussed the current challenges and potential future directions in delamination of different MXenes into their single-layer flakes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Materials Research and Education Center, Auburn University, Auburn, USA

    Armin VahidMohammadi, Emre Kayali, Jafar Orangi & Majid Beidaghi

Authors
  1. Armin VahidMohammadi
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  2. Emre Kayali
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  3. Jafar Orangi
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  4. Majid Beidaghi
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Correspondence to Majid Beidaghi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering and Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Babak Anasori

  2. Department of Materials Science and Engineering and A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Yury Gogotsi

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VahidMohammadi, A., Kayali, E., Orangi, J., Beidaghi, M. (2019). Techniques for MXene Delamination into Single-Layer Flakes. In: Anasori, B., Gogotsi, Y. (eds) 2D Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19026-2_11

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