Effects of Synthesis Conditions on the Properties of MXenes

Recent research on the synthesis of MXene shows a strong dependence of MXene properties on the synthesis conditions. MXenes are synthesized by selective etching of A-layer atoms from the structures of MAX phases. So far, several etching processes have been introduced, and recent reports show that the morphology of the synthesized MXenes, their size, their surface chemistry, and the amount and the type of various defects in their structures depend on their synthesis conditions. Therefore, synthesis conditions inevitably control the physical and chemical properties of MXenes, and understanding these processing-structure-property relationships may lead to innovative new ways to tune the properties of MXenes for a variety of applications. This talk will first provide a short review of the effects of synthesis methods and conditions on the structure and morphology of MXenes. Then, some of our recent work on tuning various properties of MXenes by changing synthesis conditions will be discussed. In particular, the effects of etching parameters on the electrical, electrochemical, and mechanical properties of the various MXenes will be presented.