MXene Surface Chemistry for Electronic and Energy Applications

Surface chemistry controls not only the physicochemical, electrochemical, and optoelectronic properties, but also environment stability and processability of nanomaterials. MXenes have been attracted in many electronic, electrochemical, and optoelectronic applications, due to their high electronic conductivity (~15000 S/cm), hydrophilicity, and solution processability. MXenes, transition metal carbides/carbonitrides/nitrides, are a very large family of 2D materials with the general formula Mn+1XnTx, where M, X, Tx, and n represent transition metal(s), carbon or nitrogen, surface terminal groups such as –OH, -O and -F, and integers ranging from 1 to 4, respectively. The surface terminations determines the surface properties of MXenes. In this presentation, the presenter will briefly demonstrate two ways to control the surface chemistry of MXenes, including anhydrous synthesis and post-surface functionalization methods. The developed surface chemistry not only control the surface functionality and physicochemical properties of MXenes, but also enables preparation of stable MXene dispersions with good oxidation stability. The surface chemistry also provides an opportunity to prepare printable flexible MXene electrodes for various applications including EMI shielding, flexible joule heater, LED display and energy storage.