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Title: Control of electronic properties of 2D carbides (MXenes) by manipulating their transition metal layers

Journal Article · · Nanoscale Horizons
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C5NH00125K· OSTI ID:1261289
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [3];  [1];  [4];  [1];  [1]
  1. Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (United States)
  2. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States)
  3. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Columbia Univ., New York, NY (United States); Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

In our study, a transition from metallic to semiconducting-like behavior has been demonstrated in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides by replacing titanium with molybdenum in the outer transition metal (M) layers of M3C2 and M4C3 MXenes. The MXene structure consists of n + 1 layers of near-close packed M layers with C or N occupying the octahedral site between them in an [MX]nM arrangement. Recently, two new families of ordered 2D double transition metal carbides MXenes were discovered, M'2M''C2 and M'2M''2C3 – where M' and M'' are two different early transition metals, such as Mo, Cr, Ta, Nb, V, and Ti. The M' atoms only occupy the outer layers and the M'' atoms fill the middle layers. In other words, M' atomic layers sandwich the middle M''–C layers. Using X-ray atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis on Mo2TiC2 and Mo2Ti2C3 MXenes, we present the first quantitative analysis of structures of these novel materials and experimentally confirm that Mo atoms are in the outer layers of the [MC]nM structures. Furthermore, the electronic properties of these Mo-containing MXenes are compared with their Ti3C2 counterparts, and are found to be no longer metallic-like conductors; instead the resistance increases mildly with decreasing temperatures. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest that OH terminated Mo–Ti MXenes are semiconductors with narrow band gaps. Measurements of the temperature dependencies of conductivities and magnetoresistances have confirmed that Mo2TiC2Tx exhibits semiconductor-like transport behavior, while Ti3C2Tx is a metal. Finally, this finding opens new avenues for the control of the electronic and optical applications of MXenes and for exploring new applications, in which semiconducting properties are required.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Science Foundation (NSF); Drexel Univ. (United States); King Abdullah Univ. of Science and Technology (KAUST) (Saudi Arabia); Army Research Office (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC02-05CH11231; SC0012704; DMR-1534910; CRG 3; W911NF-15-1-0133
OSTI ID:
1261289
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1327611
Journal Information:
Nanoscale Horizons, Vol. 1, Issue 3; ISSN 2055-6756
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 304 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Stimuli-Responsive 2D Materials Beyond Graphene journal August 2018
Surface Electrochemical Stability and Strain-Tunable Lithium Storage of Highly Flexible 2D Transition Metal Carbides journal September 2018
Atomically Thin 2D‐Arsenene by Liquid‐Phased Exfoliation: Toward Selective Vapor Sensing journal December 2018
Clay-Inspired MXene-Based Electrochemical Devices and Photo-Electrocatalyst: State-of-the-Art Progresses and Challenges journal January 2018
Electronic and Optical Properties of 2D Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) journal November 2018
MZI‐Based All‐Optical Modulator Using MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x (T = F, O, or OH) Deposited Microfiber journal January 2019
MoS 2 -on-MXene Heterostructures as Highly Reversible Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries journal January 2018
MoS 2 -on-MXene Heterostructures as Highly Reversible Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries journal January 2018
2 D MXene‐based Energy Storage Materials: Interfacial Structure Design and Functionalization journal March 2020
Two‐Dimensional Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes): Synthesis, Properties, and Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications journal March 2020
Two‐dimensional MXenes for lithium‐sulfur batteries journal January 2020
Broadband Nonlinear Photonics in Few-Layer MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x (T = F, O, or OH) journal November 2017
Ultrathin MXene Nanosheets Decorated with TiO 2 Quantum Dots as an Efficient Sulfur Host toward Fast and Stable Li-S Batteries journal September 2018
Surface Modified MXene‐Based Nanocomposites for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage journal May 2019
In Situ N‐Doped Graphene and Mo Nanoribbon Formation from Mo 2 Ti 2 C 3 MXene Monolayers journal January 2020
2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) for energy storage journal January 2017
Control of MXenes’ electronic properties through termination and intercalation journal January 2019
A synergetic stabilization and strengthening strategy for two-dimensional ordered hybrid transition metal carbides journal January 2018
Scalable synthesis of holey graphite nanosheets for supercapacitors with high volumetric capacitance journal January 2019
Molybdenum carbide chemical sensors with ultrahigh signal-to-noise ratios and ambient stability journal January 2018
Temperature-dependent mechanical properties of Ti n+1 C n O 2 ( n = 1, 2) MXene monolayers: a first-principles study journal January 2020
Configurable multi-state non-volatile memory behaviors in Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets journal January 2019
Two-dimensional semiconducting Lu 2 CT 2 (T = F, OH) MXene with low work function and high carrier mobility journal January 2020
Origin of theoretical pseudocapacitance of two-dimensional supercapacitor electrodes Ti 3 C 2 T 2 (T = bare, O, S) journal January 2019
Optimizing special quasirandom structure (SQS) models for accurate functional property prediction in disordered 2D alloys journal November 2018
Electronic and optical characterization of 2D Ti 2 C and Nb 2 C (MXene) thin films journal February 2019
Metallic MoN layer and its application as anode for lithium-ion batteries journal February 2018
MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x saturable absorber for pulsed laser at 1.3 μm journal September 2018
Distinguishing electronic contributions of surface and sub-surface transition metal atoms in Ti-based MXenes journal February 2020
Review—Two-Dimensional Titanium Carbide MXenes and Their Emerging Applications as Electrochemical Sensors journal January 2020
Environmental Stability of MXenes as Energy Storage Materials journal December 2019