A Sweet Synthesis of MXenes.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 39140754.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c02584.
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Abstract
Two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) have shown great promise in various applications. However, mass production of MXenes suffers from the excessive use of toxic fluorine-containing reagents. Herein, a new method was validated for synthesizing MXenes from five MAX ceramics. The method features a minimized (stoichiometric) dosage of F-containing reagent (NaBF<sub>4</sub>) and polyols (glycerol, erythritol, and xylitol) as the reaction solvent. Due to the sweetness of polyols and the low environmental impact, we refer to this method as a "sweet" synthesis of MXenes. An in-depth molecular dynamics simulation study, combined with experimental kinetic parameters, further revealed that the diffusion of F<sup>-</sup> in the confined interplanar space is rate-determining for the etching reaction. The expansion of interlayer spacing by polyols effectively reduces the diffusion activation energy of F<sup>-</sup> and accelerates the etching reaction.