Mapping the Surfaces of MXenes, Atom by Atom, Reveals New Potential for the 2D Materials

Researchers from Drexel University, California State University Northridge, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have provided the first clear look at the chemical structure of the surface of a two-dimensional (2D) material called titanium carbide MXene. MXenes form a family of 2D materials that have shown promise for water desalination, energy storage, and electromagnetic shielding. "Getting the first atomic-scale look at their surface, using scanning tunneling microscopy, is an exciting development that will open new possibilities for controlling the material surface and enabling applications of MXenes in advanced technologies,” said Yury Gogotsi, the researcher who led this study.