Marino Xanthos Memorial Lecture Series

2D Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) Are Ready to Roll

Yury Gogotsi
Distinguished University and Charles T. & Ruth M. Bach Professor
Materials Science & Engineering 
Drexel University 

Wednesday, October 9, 2024
2:30 PM
Central King Building (CKB) Room L-70

Abstract

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional (2D) early transition metal carbides, nitrides, oxycarbides, carbonitrides, and related structures with a general formula of Mn+1XnTx, where M is a transition metal, X is carbon or nitrogen (oxygen substitution is possible), T represents the surface terminations (O, OH, halogen, chalcogen, etc.), and n = 1—4 [1]. More than 50 MXene compositions have already been reported, but the number of possible compositions is infinite if one considers solid solutions and combinations of surface terminations. MXenes open an era of computationally driven atomistic design of 2D materials. MXenes possess electronic, optical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties that differentiate them from other materials. Chemically tunable superconductivity has been demonstrated in Nb- and Mo-based MXenes. Highly nonlinear optical properties of MXenes are being explored. Several MXenes have been predicted to act as topological insulators. Many MXenes are metals but with a tunable density of states at the Fermi level, like semiconductors. Moreover, their properties are tunable by design. They can be modulated using an ionotronic approach [2], leading to breakthroughs in the fields ranging from optoelectronics, electromagnetic interference shielding, and communication to energy storage, catalysis, sensing, and healthcare.  In several applications, such as electromagnetic interference shielding, MXenes have already outperformed all other materials. In this talk, I’ll discuss the synthesis and structure of MXenes, their optoelectronic properties, and the coupling between electrochemical redox processes in MXenes and their optical properties, which can be monitored in situ using spectroelectrochemistry techniques [3].

[1]   A. VahidMohammadi, J. Rosen, Y. Gogotsi, The World of Two-Dimensional Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes), Science, 372, eabf1581 (2021)
[2]  M. Han, D. Zhang, C. E. Shuck, B. McBride, T. Zhang, R. (John) Wang, K. Shevchuk, Y. Gogotsi, Electrochemically Modulated Interaction of MXenes with Microwaves, Nature Nanotechnology, 18, 373–379 (2023)
[3]  D. Zhang, R (John) Wang, X. Wang, Y. Gogotsi, In situ monitoring redox processes in energy storage using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Nature Energy, 8, 567–576 (2023)

Biography

Yury Gogotsi is a Distinguished University Professor and Charles T. and Ruth M. Bach Endowed Chair in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Drexel University (Philadelphia, USA). He is the founding Director of the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute. Together with his students and colleagues, he made principal contributions to the development of materials for electrochemical energy storage, discovered MXenes, demonstrated the tuning of structure and porosity of carbide-derived carbons, and developed new processes for the synthesis, surface modification, and purification of nanotubes and nanodiamonds. He also published the first microscopic observation of water inside carbon nanotubes and discovered polygonal nanotubes (graphite polyhedral crystals). He is recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher in Materials Science and Chemistry and a Citations Laureate in Physics by Clarivate Analytics (Web of Science). He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Ceramic Prize from the World Academy of Ceramics, the Materials Research Society (MRS) Medal, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Award in the Chemistry of Materials, etc. He has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the World Academy of Ceramics, the European Academy of Sciences, and many professional societies. He holds honorary doctorates from several European Universities.

RSVP to Alaysia Cleveland by Wednesday, September 25, 2024; alaysia.cleveland@njit.edu or
973-596-2783.

About Marino Xanthos

Marino Xanthos, Ph.D. was a professor of Chemical, Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering.  Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, and Senior Technical Advisor to the Polymer Processing Institute (PPI) at NJIT until his passing in the summer of 2013.  Dr. Xanthos earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki and master's and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Toronto, where he studied under Professor R.T. Woodhams.  

After receiving his doctorate in 1974, he joined the research division of Martin Marietta Resources International, where he eventually rose to the position of Research, Development, and Technical Services Manager.  From 1980 to 1986 he served as professor and later as director of Stevens Institute of Technology overseas International Programs Office Department of polymer science, engineering and technology, jointly operated with the Algerian Petroleum Institute.  During the period of 1987 to 1995, he was the research director of the PPI and Stevens Research Professor.  He was appointed professor of chemical engineering at NJIT in 1995, where he served until his passing as Director of the Polymer Engineering Center, Director of the Center of Processing of Plastics Packaging, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Materials Research Council, Senior Technical Adviser to the PPI at NJIT, and finally Associate Provost for Graduate Studies.

Dr. Xanthos was internationally recognized for his polymer blends, polymer composites and polymer foams expertise, and his studies on polymer modification through the use of functional particulate additives and reactive extrusion processes, which he also applied to the processing of pharmaceutical oral dosage forms. His research work and publications involved Ph.D. and master's students at NJIT and Stevens.  He was also involved with PPI technical staff and industrial colleagues nationally and internationally in the solution of numerous important industrial problems.

Dr. Xanthos became a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in 2003 and received the NJIT Board of Overseers Harlin J. Perlis Award that same year in recognition of his exemplary scholarship and outstanding research in the field of polymers.  He served as the U.S. representative to the Board of the Polymer Processing Society since 2005.  In 2010, he received the Heinz List Award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Reactive Processing and Devolatilization.

Dr. Xanthos deeply cared for and was a renowned mentor and advisor to his graduate and undergraduate students.  For many years, he was the advisor and life force of the NJIT student chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

This lecture series was established by his family, friends and colleagues to memorialize his accomplishments and love of his chosen field.
 

Previous Lectures

Frontiers in Supramolecular Design of Materials

Samuel Stupp
Department of Chemistry
Northwestern University

Interfacial Rheology: From Beer Foams to Materials Design

Jan Vermant
Department of Materials
ETH Zürich, Zürich Switzerland 

Plastics
What are they and could we live without them?

Frank S. Bates
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science 
University of Minnesota
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2020

Liquid Crystals - From Simple Self-Assembled Constructs, to Autonomous Materials​

Juan de Pablo Ph.D.
Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering
University of Chicago
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2019

Functional Polymer Materials Designed for Advanced Applications and Sustainability

Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science & Engineering
Texas A&M University
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2018
  

Engineered Silk Proteins for Regenerative Medicine

David L. Kaplan, Ph.D.
Stern Family Endowed Professor of Engineering
Professor & Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Distinguished University Professor
Tufts University
Director, NIH P41 Resource Center on Tissue Engineering
Editor-in-Chief, ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2017

Breaking Moore's Law, 

Thomas P. Russell, Ph.D.
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst and
Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2016

The Unusual Rheology of Concentrated Suspensions

Morton M. Denn, Ph.D.
Benjamin Levich Institute, City College of New York
Xanthos Memorial Lecture Program 2015