A team of scientists from TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology), along with partners at CEST and AC2T, has created a safer and more practical method to produce MXenes—a type of two-dimensional material made mainly of titanium and carbon. Their new method avoids using hazardous chemicals and could make large-scale MXene production much easier.
MXenes are made of layers that are just one atom thick. Because of this structure, they behave differently than thicker materials made of the same elements. They're being studied for uses in batteries, sensors, electromagnetic shielding, and as solid lubricants—even in space. Due to all these useful properties, MXene is also known as a "miracle material".
“To produce MXenes, you first need so-called MAX phases. These are materials that can consist, for example, of layers of aluminium, titanium and carbon,” said Pierluigi Bilotto from TU Wien’s Institute of Engineering Design and Product Development. “Until now, hydrofluoric acid was used to etch away the aluminium in the MAX, which then resulted in a system of atomically thin layers that can slide against each other with very little resistance. This makes these MXenes a great lubricant.”
Hydrofluoric acid, though, is highly toxic and dangerous to handle. It also creates waste that’s difficult to dispose of. “This is why MXenes have not yet made a major breakthrough in industry,” Bilotto said. “It's hard to build up such a process on an industrial scale, and many companies understandably shy away from taking this step.”
To get around this, the team developed a different method that uses electricity and a safer chemical mix—specifically, sodium tetrafluoroborate and hydrochloric acid (NaBF₄/HCl). Instead of steady electrical current, they used short bursts of voltage (cathodic pulsing). These pulses create small hydrogen bubbles that keep the material's surface active, helping the aluminium layer to be removed more effectively and continuously.
“Electrochemistry offers an alternative route to break the aluminium bonds in the MAX phase,” Bilotto explained. “When an electrical voltage is applied, the MAX phase experiences an electric current that initiates reactions at its interfaces. By precisely selecting the voltage, we are able to tune the reactions in a way that only Aluminium atoms are removed, leaving as product electrochemical MXenes (EC-MXenes).”
Using this method, the team achieved up to 60% yield of EC-MXene in a single round, with no unwanted byproducts. The material was checked using different chemical analysis tools—like SEM/EDX for chemical mapping, XPS and LEIS for surface structure, and AFM, TEM, Raman, and XRD for size, spacing, and other physical traits.
The researchers say the pulsed electric approach not only increases yield but also improves quality by keeping the surface clean and reactive throughout the process. “My goal is to make the synthesis of MXene extremely simple. It should be possible in any kitchen,” said Bilotto. “And we are very close to that.”
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