Science and Technology Partnerships and Outreach Division

Designer 2D MXene Materials: Tunable Composition-Structure-Property Relationships for Advanced Applications

Argonne has developed breakthrough MXene synthesis and design capabilities enabling atomic-level control of 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides for energy storage, catalysis, EMI shielding, and emerging technologies.
Technology Commercialization Opportunity

Overview

The growing demand for advanced materials with precisely tunable properties presents significant challenges across energy, electronics, catalysis, and biomedical applications. Argonne National Laboratory has pioneered breakthrough capabilities in MXene synthesis and design—a rapidly expanding family of 2D transition-metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides with exceptional electrical conductivity (up to 35,000 S cm-1), mechanical stiffness, and tunable surface chemistry. These innovations enable ​“designer materials” where composition, atomic arrangement, and surface terminations can be precisely controlled to meet specific application requirements, accelerating development of next-generation technologies in energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, catalysis, and beyond.

Technology

MXenes are 2D materials with the general formula M_{n+1}X_nT_x, where M represents transition metals (Ti, V, Cr, Nb, Mo, Ta, W, etc.), X represents carbon, nitrogen, or both, and T_x represents surface terminations (-O, -OH, -F, -Cl, -Br, or organic groups). Argonne researchers have demonstrated unprecedented control over MXene properties through:

  • High-Entropy MXene Synthesis: Developed 40 new MAX phase compositions containing 2-9 transition metals, nearly doubling the known chemical space for MXene precursors. Demonstrated that entropy-driven disordering occurs at seven or more metals, enabling previously ​“unstable” compositions. (ANL-IN-24-108)
  • Order-to-Disorder Transition Control: Revealed that atomic ordering persists up to six metals, with complete disordering at seven or more—directly affecting electrical resistivity (decreasing from 0.15 to 0.01 Ω·cm) and infrared emissivity. (ANL-IN-23-060)

Figure 1  A stylized scanning electron microscopy image of a multi-layer stack of MXenes. (Image by Brian Wyatt, Babak Anasori and Devynn Leatherman-May.)
 

Benefits

  • Exceptional Electrical Conductivity:
    Record-high conductivity up to 35,000 S cm-1 enables superior performance in EMI shielding and electronic applications [1].
  • Tunable Properties by Design:
    Atomic-level control of M, X, and T_x chemistry allows customization for specific applications—from energy storage to catalysis to biomedical devices.
  • Superior EMI Shielding:
    MXene films achieve >20 dB shielding effectiveness at micrometer thicknesses, outperforming all measured nanomaterials and comparable to metals.
  • Scalable Synthesis:
    Established synthesis protocols enable production of high-quality MXenes with controlled composition and surface chemistry
  • Thermal Stability:
    MXenes maintain stability up to 800°C in inert environments and 500°C in ambient conditions

Applications and Industries

  • Electric vehicle batteries and energy storage systems
  • Electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for electronics and communications
  • Electrocatalysis for hydrogen production and CO2 reduction
  • Aerospace and defense thermal management
  • Water purification and environmental remediation
  • Flexible sensors and wearable electronics 

Developmental Stage

The technology is at TRL 4-5 (laboratory validation to relevant environment testing). High-quality MXene synthesis has been demonstrated at laboratory scale with established protocols for composition control, surface functionalization, and film fabrication. Scale-up capabilities are available through Argonne’s Materials Engineering Research Facility.

Argonne’s Peer-Reviewed Publications

  1. Thakur, A., Kim, J., Wyatt, B.C., Gogotsi, Y. & Anasori, B. ​“Composition-structure-property relationships in MXenes.” Nature Reviews Materials (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41578-026-00911-9
  2. Wyatt, B.C. et al. ​“Order-to-disorder transition due to entropy in layered and 2D carbides.” Science 389, 1054-1058 (2025). DOI: 10.1126/science.adv4415
  3. Wyatt, B.C. et al. ​“Alkali cation stabilization of defects in 2D MXenes at ambient and elevated temperatures.” Nature Communications 15, 6353 (2024). https://​doi​.org/​1​0​.​1​0​3​8​/​s​4​1​4​6​7​-​0​2​4​-​5​0​713-2

Summary of Technologies

  • ANL-IN-23-060 Systems and Methods For Mxene Heterostructures
  • ANL-IN-24-108 Durable Metal-Mxene Composites 
  • ANL-IN-24-110 Advanced Sorbents For Low-Energy Carbon Capture and Conversion