Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials like graphene have received great research attention for several years, but a new generation of atom-thick materials – MXenes – has recently captured the interest of materials science researchers and nanotechnology developers alike.
Synthesizing MXene Nanomaterials
MXenes are 2D nanomaterials that exhibit high conductivity, high surface area, high functionalization, a site of hydroxide, and many other interesting properties. They were only discovered in 2011, but have been the subject of many studies ever since.
MXenes are inorganic compounds measuring only a few atoms in thickness and are made up of metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides. These materials combine the metallic conductivity of the transition metal carbides with hydrophilic features imparted by their hydroxyl- or oxygen-terminated surfaces.
The first MXene nanomaterial to be reported in 2011 was Ti4N3. Though, this compound is synthesized in a slightly different manner to most of the other MXenes developed since.
Ti4N3 is synthesized by mixing TI4AlN3 with a molten eutectic fluoride salt made up of lithium fluoride, sodium fluoride, and potassium fluoride. This mixture is treated at a high temperature, causing the Al to etch out and yield multilayered Ti4N3.
This material is then delaminated into single layers by immersion in tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and a subsequent sonication step.
Most MXene nanomaterials, however, are synthesized in a top-down (subtractive) selective etching process. This process is scalable without exhibiting any loss or change in the nanomaterials’ properties when batch sizes increase.
The top-down etching process uses strong etching solutions with a fluoride ion such as hydrofluoric acid (HF), ammonium bifluoride (NH4HF2), or a mixture of lithium fluoride (LiF) and hydrochloric acid (HCI).
For example, aqueous HF at room temperature is used to etch the MXene material Ti3AlC2. The HF selectively removes the Al atoms so that the surface of the carbide layers becomes terminated by O or F atoms.
MXene is also sometimes obtained from Lewis acid molten salts like ZnCl2. This method synthesizes a Cl-terminated MXene structurally stable up to 750 °C.
Rapid Progress in MXene Research
So far, 27 MXene materials have been synthesized. These are formed from elements like titanium, zirconium, molybdenum, niobium, tungsten, and hydrogen, along with carbon.
There have been numerous applications for the materials already. Mxenes are employed as conductive layered materials with tunable surface terminations in energy storage applications, both in Li-ion batteries and supercapacitors.
Applications as photocatalytic cells, transparent conducting electrodes, and neural electrodes also capitalize on Mxenes’ unique electrochemical properties.
The nanomaterials can be used in water purification, gas sensing, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), and electrochromic devices.
Key Applications for the Future of Mxene Nanomaterials
The remarkable and unique properties of Mxene nanomaterials have led researchers tackling science’s major challenges to consider how the materials could be useful in their work. As such, Mxene’s have been investigated for use in environmental projects, cleaner energy production, and lifesaving medical technologies.
Environmental Clean Up and Water Sustainability
Mxene’s high surface area, biological compatibility (non-toxicity), robust electrochemistry, and high hydrophilicity make them ideal candidates for advanced environmental clean technologies.
Nanoarchitectures based on Mxene materials can mitigate the role of inorganic pollutants in interfacial chemical transformation and sorption in ecosystems.
They achieve this through three main mechanisms: surface complexation and sorption, catalytic activation and removal, and radical generation-based photocatalytic degradation.
When applied to drinking water sources and water waste, MXene-based filtration systems can have significant impacts on both local communities’ health and wellbeing, as well as the overall health of their surrounding environments.
Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Energy
According to many forecasters, hydrogen will play a crucial role in transitioning from a fossil-fuel based economy to clean renewable energy. Generating hydrogen with water electrolysis is the preferred solution at present, being the cleanest and most sustainable method.
The development of non-noble metal electrocatalysts is a hot topic of research in hydrogen power. MXene nanomaterials have recently been explored as potential electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysis.
The materials display good HER activity and remarkable stability and may help us to break free from fossil fuels.
Biomedical Applications
MXenes may even save lives, as they are currently being explored for numerous biomedical applications. Their non-toxicity and unique properties make them interesting to researchers working on antibacterial safety, advanced medical imaging technologies, biosensing devices, tissue regeneration, and even cancer therapies.
Still, MXenes’ appropriateness and potential for biomedical applications are still not fully understood. As such, many are invested in characterizing the unique nanomaterials. Doing so would aid in understanding their interactions with other materials, especially organic matter, and fully estimating their potential for use in lifesaving medical technology.
News
New nanomedicine wipes out leukemia in animal study
In a promising advance for cancer treatment, Northwestern University scientists have re-engineered the molecular structure of a common chemotherapy drug, making it dramatically more soluble and effective and less toxic. In the new study, [...]
Mystery Solved: Scientists Find Cause for Unexplained, Deadly Diseases
A study reveals that a protein called RPA is essential for maintaining chromosome stability by stimulating telomerase. New findings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest that problems with a key protein that helps preserve chromosome stability [...]
Nanotech Blocks Infection and Speed Up Chronic Wound Recovery
A new nanotech-based formulation using quercetin and omega-3 fatty acids shows promise in halting bacterial biofilms and boosting skin cell repair. Scientists have developed a nanotechnology-based treatment to fight bacterial biofilms in wound infections. The [...]
Researchers propose five key questions for effective adoption of AI in clinical practice
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool that physicians can use to help diagnose their patients and has great potential to improve accuracy, efficiency and patient safety, it has its drawbacks. It [...]
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
Nanoparticle blueprints reveal path to smarter medicines
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the delivery vehicles of modern medicine, carrying cancer drugs, gene therapies and vaccines into cells. Until recently, many scientists assumed that all LNPs followed more or less the same blueprint, [...]
How nanomedicine and AI are teaming up to tackle neurodegenerative diseases
When I first realized the scale of the challenge posed by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), I felt simultaneously humbled and motivated. These disorders are not caused [...]
Self-Organizing Light Could Transform Computing and Communications
USC engineers have demonstrated a new kind of optical device that lets light organize its own route using the principles of thermodynamics. Instead of relying on switches or digital control, the light finds its own [...]
Groundbreaking New Way of Measuring Blood Pressure Could Save Thousands of Lives
A new method that improves the accuracy of interpreting blood pressure measurements taken at the ankle could be vital for individuals who are unable to have their blood pressure measured on the arm. A newly developed [...]
Scientist tackles key roadblock for AI in drug discovery
The drug development pipeline is a costly and lengthy process. Identifying high-quality "hit" compounds—those with high potency, selectivity, and favorable metabolic properties—at the earliest stages is important for reducing cost and accelerating the path [...]
Nanoplastics with environmental coatings can sneak past the skin’s defenses
Plastic is ubiquitous in the modern world, and it's notorious for taking a long time to completely break down in the environment - if it ever does. But even without breaking down completely, plastic [...]
