MXenoids: Generalization of MXene-Inspired Covalent Surface Modifications Across Two-Dimensional Materials.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) inorganic materials offer unique properties but require versatile functionalization methods.
• 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) are known for their chemically modifiable surfaces.
• Existing methods are often limited in scope for broader 2D material families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a general covalent surface modification strategy for halide-terminated 2D inorganic materials beyond MXenes.
• To explore the potential for compositional and electronic structure engineering.
• To introduce novel chiral hybrid organic-inorganic structures and tunable photoluminescence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized covalent surface modification techniques on halide-terminated 2D inorganic materials.
• Applied postsynthetic modifications to assemble complex organic-inorganic hybrid structures.
• Characterized the resulting materials to analyze compositional, electronic, and optical properties.

Main Results:

• Successfully applied surface modification to non-MXene halide-terminated 2D materials (MXenoids).
• Achieved significant engineering of material composition and electronic structure.
• Created chiral hybrid organic-inorganic structures with photoluminescence spanning near-infrared to blue wavelengths.

Conclusions:

• The demonstrated surface modification strategy is broadly applicable to various halide-terminated 2D materials.
• This approach opens new avenues for surface chemistry-driven materials design.
• Enhanced functional capabilities of 2D materials can be achieved through versatile surface engineering.