Controlling the morphology of carbide MAX phases/MXenes through the starting carbon source

Objective

MAX phases, a family of inorganic layered compounds with a unique combination of metallic and ceramic properties, have found interesting applications in several fields: high temperature coatings, joining, catalysis, sensing, biomedicine, solar energy harvesting, and energy storage... Although MAX phases have been known since the early 1960s, little attention has been paid to the effect that the starting reagents may have on the morphology (and, therefore, properties) of the final material. Thus, for the particular case of the syntheses of carbide-MAX phases, the key question that arises is: could the carbon source serve as a template and somehow transfer its morphological features to the resultant product? MorphoXene project aims at preparing Ti3AlC2 (MAX phase) and Ti3C2Tx (MXene) with unconventional zero-, one-, and three-dimensional (0D, 1D, and 3D, respectively) morphologies by choosing a carbon source (template) distinct from the typically used graphene powder: i) 0D (C60-Ih)[5,6]fullerene (C60), ii) 1D single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and iii) the 3D hierarchically porous graphitic architecture resultant from the pyrolysis of Hippospongia communis, the most common marine sponge in the Mediterranean Sea. Moreover, in virtue of their shorter diffusion paths and/or the hierarchically porous structure in contrast to conventional MXenes, the performance of 0D, 1D, and 3D Ti3C2Tx compounds as anode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) will be tested and compared with that of the state-of-the-art Ti3C2Tx MXenes. This project will enable the Researcher to acquire professional maturity in the preparation of advanced materials with tailor-made properties. Moreover, it is expected that a better control over the morphology brings MXenes closer to their integration into a plethora of functional devices. Undoubtedly, this project will increase the awareness of the scientific community on the need of exploring not only new compositions, but also morphologies.