Composition-Structure-Property Relationships in MXenes
MXenes are a large family of 2D transition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides with over 100 synthesized compositions to date. The rapid growth of the MXene family is driven by designer chemistry control of their composition and structure, including the transition metal and surface functional groups, the non-metal sublattice, and atomic-layer configurations. This compositional diversity controls chemical ordering, defect formation, and surface chemistry, ultimately determining MXenes properties. In addition to their chemical and structural diversity, as-synthesized MXenes exhibit high electrical conductivity, hydrophilicity, functionalized surfaces, and tunable electronic, chemical, and mechanical properties.
In this talk, I will start with a brief overview of the possible compositions and structures of MXenes, then focus on our recent efforts on medium- and high-entropy MXenes and defect engineering to control stability, phase transformation, and functional properties. I will discuss our work on the transition from order to disorder at sub-nanometer thicknesses across 40 different MXenes with two to nine transition metals due to entropy effects. I will also present how controlling defects, including metal and non-metal vacancies and carbon substitution with nitrogen, enables tuning of oxidation resistance, electrocatalytic behavior, and high-temperature stability.
Bio:Dr. Babak Anasori is the Reilly Rising Star Associate Professor at Purdue University, with joint appointments in the Schools of Materials Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Graphene and 2D Materials, a Springer-Nature journal. Dr. Anasori received his PhD from Drexel University in 2014 in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the birthplace of MXenes. Dr. Anasori has authored over 210 refereed publications on MXenes and their precursors and has been recognized as a Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher since 2019. He has received several international awards, including the 2016 Materials Research Society (MRS) Postdoctoral Award, the 2021 Drexel University 40-under-40, the 2021 Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) Rising Star Award in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the 2024 Early Discovery Award by the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), the 2024 Kavli Foundation Early Career Lectureship in Materials Science by MRS, and the 2026 Purdue University Faculty Excellence Award for Early Career Research. Dr. Anasori’s research lab focuses on developing novel 2D carbide and carbonitride MXenes for various applications, including energy generation, electromagnetic interference shielding, and ultra-high temperature and extreme environments.
Contact : Philippe Moreau (ST2E)
