Green Bottom-Up Synthesis of MXenes

Objective

MXenes are a rapidly growing family of two-dimensional carbides and nitrides with unique properties, including high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, and tunable surface chemistry. These features make them highly attractive for energy storage, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, catalysis, and flexible electronics. Yet their synthesis remains the main barrier to industrial adoption. Conventional top-down routes based on hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching of MAX phases are hazardous, energy-intensive, and compositionally rigid. In parallel, several bottom-up strategies such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced pulsed layer deposition (PEPLD), template methods, or direct synthesis have been explored. While safer, these methods face major drawbacks, including high energy requirements, poor structural control, low reproducibility, and limited scalability. This ERC-PoC project will address this unmet need by developing a novel bottom-up synthesis route that bypasses MAX phases and overcomes the limitations of existing alternatives. Building on preliminary results from the ERC-AG DISCOVERY, our approach assembles MXenes directly from molecular precursors under moderate conditions, reducing energy demand, eliminating hazardous by-products, and enabling access to compositions that are otherwise difficult to obtain, such as nitride-based MXenes. The project will demonstrate feasibility through two case studies: Ti₃C2 as a benchmark and Ti2N as a representative nitride MXene. By proving reproducibility, scalability to multi-gram batches, and industrial relevance, the project will create a unique opportunity to position MXenes as safer, more versatile, and industrially viable materials. Thanks to this breakthrough, MXenes could finally progress from research laboratories to real-world applications in high-value markets.