Jie Zhou, assistant professor at Linköping university. Credit: Olov Planthaber- Linköping University
Linköping University researchers have published their method for synthesizing hundreds of novel 2D materials. The synthesized materials could lay the foundation for a plethora of next-generation technologies.
Research and synthesis of 2D materials have increased exponentially since their discovery. These ultra-thin materials have impressive surface areas while maintaining a low volume and weight, providing several distinctive properties such as improved conductivity, strength, and heat resistance.
MXenes, the largest family of 2D materials, contain a three-dimensional parent material called a MAX phase comprising a transition metal, an A group element, and either carbon or nitrogen. To create the 2D material, the A group element is removed via exfoliation. In the study, published in Science, the researchers developed a method to predict other 3D materials that could be suitable for conversion into 2D materials.
Using the method, they identified 119 potential 3D materials from a database of over 66,000 potential candidates. “Out of 119 possible materials, we studied which ones had the chemical stability required and which materials were the best candidates. First, we had to synthesise the 3D material, which was a challenge in itself. Finally, we had a high-quality sample where we could exfoliate and etch away a specific atom layers using hydrofluoric acid,” said Jie Zhou, assistant professor at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
To verify the method, the team relied on scanning transmission electron microscopy to resolve the materials and structures at the atomic level. Additionally, the team identified the atomic makeup with the use of spectroscopic techniques.
“We were able to confirm that our theoretical model worked well, and that the resulting material consisted of the correct atoms. After exfoliation, images of the material resembled the pages of a book. It’s amazing that the theory could be put into practice, thereby expanding the concept of chemical exfoliation to more materials families than MXenes,” said Jonas Björk, associate professor in the division of Materials design.
The team intends to continue their research by exploring more precursor materials and ultimately scaling up the experiments to cover more possibilities. “In general, 2D materials have shown great potential for an enormous number of applications. You can imagine capturing carbon dioxide or purifying water, for example. Now it’s about scaling up the synthesis and doing it in a sustainable way,” said Johanna Rosén professor of Materials physics.