Chemical-scissor-mediated structural editing of layered transition metal carbides

TL;DR

This paper introduces a chemical scissor-based method for editing the structure of layered transition metal carbides and nitrides, enabling the creation of novel materials with tailored properties.

Contribution

It presents a new protocol for structural editing of MAX phases and MXenes using chemical scissors and intercalants, allowing precise control over their composition and structure.

Findings

Successful transformation between MXenes and MAX phases.

Creation of layered materials with unconventional elements.

Versatile surface terminations achieved through chemical editing.

Abstract

Intercalation of non-van der Waals (vdW) layered materials can produce new 2D and 3D materials with unique properties, but it is difficult to achieve. Here, we describe a structural editing protocol for 3D non-vdW layered ternary carbides and nitrides (MAX phases) and their 2D vdW derivatives (MXenes). Gap-opening and species-intercalating stages were mediated by chemical scissors and guest intercalants, creating a large family of layered materials with unconventional elements and structures in MAX phases, as well as MXenes with versatile termination species. Removal of surface terminations by metal scissors and stitching of carbide layers by metal atoms leads to a reverse transformation from MXenes to MAX phases, and metal-intercalated 2D carbides. This scissor-mediated structural editing may enable structural and chemical tailoring of other layered ceramics.