A multi-layer MXene after etching a MAX particle. Devynn Leatherman-May, Brian C. Wyatt, and Babak Anasori, Purdue University
Two-dimensional nanomaterials only a few atoms thick are being pushed to new frontiers, with scientists synthesizing MXenes that pack up to nine transition metals into a single ultrathin sheet.
The breakthrough could reshape how materials perform in extreme environments, from aerospace and energy storage to advanced electronics.
Researchers say it marks a leap in understanding how order and disorder at the atomic scale dictate material properties.
MXenes , a family of 2D carbides and nitrides discovered in 2011 ,are among the most promising nanomaterials, combining high conductivity, tunability, and unusual surface chemistry.
Their layered structure, just a nanometer thick, makes them ideal building blocks for technologies operating under ultra-demanding conditions.
Entropy versus enthalpy clash
In their new study, Purdue University’s Babak Anasori and colleagues tested the limits of MXene construction by fitting up to nine different metals from the periodic table into a single 2D sheet.
The team created nearly 40 layered materials with different combinations, then examined how entropy, the natural drive toward disorder, competes with enthalpy, the tendency toward ordered atomic arrangements.
“Imagine making cheeseburgers with two to nine ingredients,” Anasori said. “If you use two to six, the layers always stack in order. But when you add more, the sandwich forms with true disorder. Our magic here is thermodynamics, and the box is a high-temperature furnace.”
The research shows that while smaller metal combinations favor stable ordering, higher numbers lead to “high-entropy” phases where atoms arrange unpredictably. Understanding this transition is critical to designing materials that stay stable under harsh conditions.
Paving path for extremes
The team synthesized the layered “parent” MAX phases first, then converted them into MXenes to analyze surface and electronic behavior. That allowed them to connect order-disorder transitions to functional properties, a key step toward engineering tailored materials.
“This study indicates that short-range ordering in high-entropy materials determines the impact of entropy versus enthalpy on their structures and properties,” said Brian Wyatt, a postdoctoral researcher and first author. “Within layered ceramics and 2D material research, this expands the families of these materials and their potential applications.”
Anasori’s lab is focused on creating MXenes that can thrive where current materials fail, from shielding electromagnetic waves to functioning as ultrathin antennas in next-generation communications.
“We want to continue pushing the boundaries of what materials can do, especially in extreme environments where current materials fall short,” Anasori said.
“Whether it is enabling clean energy, or longer EV range in extreme cold or extreme heat in aerospace, or crafting materials that function in space or deep-sea conditions, I hope our work can help enable the next generation of technologies.”
The research was funded by agencies in the U.S., Poland, and Korea. It was published in Science.
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