Continuous flow vortex fluidic-mediated exfoliation and fragmentation of two-dimensional MXene

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• MXenes are a class of two-dimensional (2D) materials with promising electronic and mechanical properties.
• Exfoliation is crucial for obtaining thin, few-layered MXene films for advanced applications.
• Traditional exfoliation methods can be challenging to scale and control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an optimized continuous flow process for MXene exfoliation using a vortex fluidic device (VFD).
• To achieve thin, multi-layered two-dimensional (2D) MXene materials with controlled thickness.
• To investigate the influence of process parameters on exfoliation efficiency and material characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Exfoliation of MXene (Ti₂CT) within a vortex fluidic device (VFD) under continuous flow.
• Optimization of VFD operating parameters, material concentration, and solvent composition (1:1 isopropyl alcohol/water).
• Characterization of exfoliated material using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to determine thickness and nanoparticle size.

Main Results:

• Successful exfoliation of MXene down to approximately 3 nm thin multi-layered two-dimensional (2D) material.
• Optimization of the VFD process under an inert nitrogen atmosphere to prevent oxidation.
• Observation of material fragmentation into nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately 68 nm.

Conclusions:

• The vortex fluidic device (VFD) provides an effective microfluidic platform for continuous flow exfoliation of MXene.
• The optimized process yields high-quality, thin 2D MXene materials suitable for further research and applications.
• The VFD method offers a scalable approach for producing 2D MXene films and nanoparticles.