Babak Anasori

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis | IUPUI · Department of Mechanical Engineering

Multi-layer Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ coatings have demonstrated an outstanding wear performance with excellent durability due to beneficial tribo-layers formed. However, the involved formation processes dependent on the tribological conditions and coating thickness are yet to be fully explored. Therefore, we spray-coated Ti$_3$C$_2$T$_x$ multi-layer partic...

Rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs) are promising next‐generation low‐cost and high‐energy devices. Among all RMBs, anode‐free magnesium metal batteries that use in situ magnesium‐plated current collectors as negative electrodes can afford optimal energy densities. However, anode‐free magnesium metal batteries have remained elusive so far, as t...

The development of new materials and their compositional and microstructural optimization are essential in regard to next-generation technologies such as clean energy and environmental sustainability. However, materials discovery and optimization have been a frustratingly slow process. The Edisonian trial-and-error process is time consuming and res...

To advance the MXene field, it is crucial to optimize each step of the synthesis process and create a detailed, systematic guide for synthesizing high-quality MXene that can be consistently reproduced. In this study, a detailed guide is provided for an optimized synthesis of titanium carbide (Ti3 C2 Tx ) MXene using a mixture of hydrofluoric and hy...

Microwave communication devices necessitate elements with high electrical conductivity, a property which was traditionally found in metals (e.g., copper). However, in applications such as satellite communications, metals prevent the payload from achieving lightweight and flexible characteristics. Here, we demonstrate the development of MXene film m...

MXenes, two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, have been investigated for diverse applications since their discovery, however, their life cycle analysis (LCA) has not been studied. Here, we perform a "cradle to gate" LCA to assess the cumulative energy demand (CED) and environmental impacts of lab-scale synthesis of...

The functionality of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) in technological applications greatly depends on their wettability. For instance, MXenes' layer stability against degradative oxidation is notably reduced when stored in aqueous solutions, leading to the transformation into oxides. In this work, we study water...

The family of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides, known as MXenes, has grown from a single composition in 2011 to a ~50-composition family. With a large number of possible transition metals and their combinations, four possible 2D thickness ranges for a single 2D flake, tunable surface chemistry and the capa...

Multiple principal element or high-entropy materials have recently been studied in the two-dimensional (2D) materials phase space. These promising classes of materials combine the unique behavior of solid-solution and entropy-stabilized systems with high aspect ratios and atomically thin characteristics of 2D materials. The current experimental spa...

Magnesium metal batteries are promising candidates for next‐generation high‐energy‐density and low‐cost energy storage systems. Their application, however, is precluded by infinite relative volume changes and inevitable side reactions of Mg metal anodes. These issues become more pronounced at large areal capacities that are required for practical b...

The need for novel materials for energy storage and generation calls for chemical control at the atomic scale in nanomaterials. Ordered double-transition-metal MXenes expanded the chemical diversity of the family of atomically layered 2D materials since their discovery in 2015. However, atomistic tunability of ordered MXenes to achieve ideal compos...

The mutations of bacteria due to the excessive use of antibiotics, and generation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have made the development of new antibacterial compounds a necessity. MXenes have emerged as biocompatible transition metal carbide structures with extensive biomedical applications. This is related to the MXenes' unique combination of...

The large and rapidly growing family of 2D early transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (MXenes) raises significant interest in the materials science and chemistry of materials communities. Discovered a little more than a decade ago, MXenes have already demonstrated outstanding potential in various applications ranging from energy s...

2D rare-earth metal carbides (MXenes) are attractive due to their novel electronic and magnetic properties and their potential as scalable 2D magnets. In this study, we used density functional theory with the Hubbard U correction to characterize the structure, termination, and magnetism in an out-of-plane ordered rare-earth containing M 3 C 2 T x M...

Two-dimensional MXenes produce competitive performances when incorporated into lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs), solving key problems such as the poor electronic conductivity of sulfur and dissolution of its polysulfide intermediates. However, MXene nanosheets are known to easily aggregate and restack during electrode fabrication, filtration, or wat...

Expanding the MXene design space from ordered and random double-transition-metal (DTM) MXenes to include high-entropy (HE) MXenes with four or more principal elements enables a powerful approach for enhancing MXene properties. While many DTM MXenes possess unique structures that strongly influence material properties, HE MXenes are largely unknown...

As the most studied two-dimensional (2D) material from the MXene family, Ti3C2Tx has constantly gained interest from academia and industry. Ti3C2Tx MXene has the highest electrical conductivity (up to 24,000 S cm-1) and one of the highest stiffness values with a Young's modulus of ∼ 334 GPa among water-dispersible conductive 2D materials. The negat...

Understanding the interlayer interaction at the nanoscale in two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) is important to improve their exfoliation/delamination process and application in (nano)-tribology. The layer-substrate interaction is also essential in (nano)-tribology as effective solid lubricants should be resistant...

Since the first report on Ti3C2Tx in 2011, the family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (MXenes) has increased substantially to include single and multi-element MXenes, with many more yet to be synthesized but predicted to possess attractive properties. To synthesize these elusive MXenes as well as to improve...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, known as MXenes, have grown in research interest since 2011 partly due to their impressive high electrical conductivity, stiff mechanical properties, and abundant chemically-active surface groups. These key features of MXenes make them attractive candidates for uniform coverage of metal powders for ad...

Two-dimensional (2D) surface-terminated layered transition metal carbide MXenes with high electrochemical performance paved the way for robust energy storage supercapacitor devices. However, because of the 2D nature of the MXene flakes, self-restacking of 2D MXene flakes limits the use of all the flakes functionalized surfaces in MXene electrodes....

MXenes have significantly impacted materials science and nanotechnology since their discovery in 2011. Theoretical calculations have predicted more than 100 possible compositions of MXenes and lab-scale fabrication of more than 40 MXene structures has been reported to date. The unique characteristics of MXenes have made them an ideal fit for a wide...

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (known as MXenes) have evolved as competitive materials and fillers for developing composites and hybrids for applications ranging from catalysis, energy storage, selective ion filtration, electromagnetic wave attenuation, and electronic/piezoelectric behavior. MXenes’ incorpora...

2D titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene films, with their well-defined microstructures and chemical functionality, provide a macroscale use of nano-sized Ti3C2Tx flakes. Ti3C2Tx films have attractive physicochemical properties favorable for device design, such as high electrical conductivity (up to 20 000 S cm–1), impressive volumetric capacitance (150...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, known as MXenes, are a growing class of 2D materials, which offer great solid lubrication ability for low friction applications due to their weakly bonded multi-layer structure and tribo-layer formation with self-lubricating characteristics. To date, most studies have asse...

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are layered materials with unique functionalities which make them suitable for applications such as energy storage devices, supercapacitors, electromagnetic interference shielding, and wireless communications. Since they are wet-processed, MXenes need annealing to improve thei...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are a fast-growing family of 2D materials. MXenes 2D flakes have n + 1 (n = 1-4) atomic layers of transition metals interleaved by carbon/nitrogen layers, but to-date remain limited in composition to one or two transition metals. In this study, by implementing four transi...

2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, known as MXenes, were discovered in 2011 and have grown to prominence in energy storage, catalysis, electromagnetic interference shielding, wireless communications, electronic, sensors, environmental and biomedical applications. In addition to their high electrical conductivity and electroc...

MXene/polymer nanocomposites simultaneously benefit from the attractive properties of MXenes and the flexibility and facile processability of polymers. These composites have shown superior properties such as high light-to-heat conversion, excellent electromagnetic interference shielding, and high charge storage, compared to other nanocomposites. Th...

Owing to MXenes' tunable mechanical properties induced by their structural and chemical diversity, MXenes are believed to compete with state-of-the-art 2D nanomaterials such as graphene regarding their tribological performance. Their nanolaminate structure offers weak interlayer interactions and an easy-to-shear ability to render them excellent can...

p>Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are a fast-growing family of 2D materials. MXenes 2D flakes have n + 1 ( n = 1 – 4) atomic layers of transition metals interleaved by carbon/nitrogen layers, but to-date remain limited in composition to one or two transition metals. In this study, through the use of fou...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, known as MXenes, are under increasing pressure to meet technological demands in high-temperature applications, as MXenes can be considered as one of the few high temperature 2D materials. Although there are studies on the stability of their surface functionalities, there i...

Mo2C AND TI3C2 MXenes were investigated as earth-abundant electrocatalyts for the the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). Mo2C and Ti3C2 exhibited faradaic efficiencies of 90% (250 mV overpotential) and 65% (650 mV overpotential), respectively, for the reduction of CO2 to CO in acetonitrile using an ionic liquid electrolyte. The use of ionic liquid 1-e...

Tissue engineered cardiac patches have great potential as a therapeutic treatment for myocardial infarction (MI). However, for successful integration with the native tissue and proper function of the cells comprising the patch, it is crucial for these patches to mimic the ordered structure of the native extracellular matrix and the electroconductiv...

The development of highly efficient and durable earth-abundant hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts is crucial for the extensive implementation of the hydrogen economy. Members of the 2D MXenes family, particularly Mo2CT x , have recently been identified as promising HER catalysts. However, their inherent oxidative instability in air and aqu...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides known as MXenes have shown attractive functionalities such as high electronic conductivity, a wide range of optical properties, versatile transition metal and surface chemistry, and solution processability. Although extensively studied computationally, the magnetic properties of this large...

MXenes are a large family of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides. The MXene family has expanded since their original discovery in 2011, and has grown larger with the discovery of ordered double transition-metal (DTM) MXenes. These DTM MXenes differ from their counterpart mono-transition-metal (mono-M) MXenes,...

Multifunctional fiber-reinforced composites play a significant role in advanced aerospace and military applications due to their high strength and toughness resulting in superior damage tolerance. However, early detection of structural changes prior to visible damage is critical for extending the lifetime of the part. MXenes, an emerging class of t...

Electro-, photo-, and photoelectrocatalysis play a critical role toward the realization of a sustainable energy economy. They facilitate numerous redox reactions in energy storage and conversion systems, enabling the production of chemical feedstock and clean fuels from abundant resources like water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen. One major obstacle...

The development of new electrolyte and electrode designs and compositions has led to advances in electrochemical energy-storage (EES) devices over the past decade. However, focusing on either the electrode or electrolyte separately is insufficient for developing safer and more efficient EES devices in various working environments, as the energy-sto...

Although limited in supplies and non-renewable, fossil fuels currently provide 80% of the global annual energy. ¹ Furthermore, the combustion of fossil fuels emits lingering gas emissions that exacerbates global warming. Unlike fossil fuels, the solar energy is abundant, globally accessible and renewable, therefore developing technologies which can...

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is an attractive way to produce renewable fuel and chemical feedstock, especially when coupled with efficient CO2 capture and clean energy sources. On the fundamental side, research on improving CO2RR activity still revolves around late transition metal based catalysts, which are limited by unfavourab...

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides and/or nitrides (MXenes) have shown promise in developing electrochemical storage of metal ions within conductive galleries due to redox reactions with transition metal atoms. Here, effect...

MXenes have demonstrated high efficiency as negative electrodes in supercapacitors with aqueous electrolytes owning to their high redox capacitance. However, oxidation limits their use under positive potential, requiring design of asymmetric devices with positive electrodes made of other materials, usually less capacitive compared to MXenes and lim...

Career progression through professional engagement: The impact of MRS student-led activities - Volume 45 Issue 4 - Daniel Stadler, Eva Hemmer, Babak Anasori, Zachary D. Hood, Sanjay Mathur

Abstract MXene nanosheets have been used for preparing highly flexible integrated electrodes due to their two-dimensional (2D) morphology, flexibility, high conductivity, and abundant functional groups. However, restacking of 2D nanosheets inhibits the ion transport in MXene electrodes, limiting their thickness, rate performance, and energy storage...

The integration of nanomaterials with high conductivity into stretchable polymer fibers can achieve novel functionalities such as sensing physical deformations. With a metallic conductivity that exceeds other solution‐processed nanomaterials, 2D titanium carbide MXene is an attractive material to produce conducting and stretchable fibers. Here, a s...

New ultrathin and multifunctional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are required for protecting electronics against electromagnetic pollution in the fifth-generation networks and Internet of Things era. Micrometer-thin Ti3C2T x MXene films have shown the best EMI shielding performance among synthetic materials so far. Yet, the...

Introduction of new nanomaterials with conductivity, salt adsorption capacity (SAC) and rate (SAR) exceeding that of carbon electrodes may greatly improve capacitive deionization of water. However, those materials show a different electrochemical behavior, which must be studied and optimized for practical use. Here, effects of operating conditions...

Thermosetting epoxy polymers exhibit excellent stiffness and strength and are commonly utilized as matrices to make fiber reinforced composites. However, epoxy thermosets are brittle and typically possess a low fracture toughness that restricts their applications. One promising mechanism for improving mechanical properties of epoxy is the integrati...

The development of stretchable electronics requires the invention of compatible high-performance power sources, such as stretchable supercapacitors and batteries. In this work, two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide (Ti3C2T x ) MXene is being explored for flexible and printed energy storage devices by fabrication of a robust, stretchable high-perfor...

MXenes have shown outstanding properties due to their highly active hydrophilic surfaces coupled with high metallic conductivity. Many applications rely on the intercalation between Ti3C2Tx (Tx describes the surface termination) flakes by ions or molecules, which in turn might alter the Ti3C2Tx surface chemistry and electrochemical properties. In t...

MXenes, two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and/or nitrides, possess surface termination groups such as hydroxyl, oxygen, and fluorine, which are available for surface functionalization. Their surface chemistry is critical in many applications. This article reports amine functionalization of Ti3C2Tx MXene surface with [3‐(2‐aminoethylami...

MXenes are a family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides with a general formula of Mn+1XnTx, in which two, three, or four atomic layers of a transition metal (M: Ti, Nb, V, Cr, Mo, Ta, etc.) are interleaved with layers of C and/or N (shown as X), and Tx represents surface termination groups such as -OH, =O...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides, corbonitrides, and nitrides (named as MXenes) have become of the fastest growing family of 2D materials in terms of compositions and their applications in different areas. One of the least explored properties of MXenes is their mechanical properties. While the basic elastic properties of MXenes have b...

Since the advent of monolayered 2D transition metal carbide and nitrides (MXenes) in 2011, the number of different monolayer systems and the study thereof have been on the rise. Mo2Ti2C3 is one of the least studied MXenes and new insights to this material are of value to the field. Here, the stability of Mo2Ti2C3 under electron irradiation is inves...

Hard carbon (HC) is a promising anode material for sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) and potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), but the volume change during the insertion/extraction of Na+ or K+ limits the cycle life, especially for PIBs due to the large ion size of K+. Moreover, the conventional anodes fabricated through the coating method cannot satisfy the r...

MXenes have attracted much attention as fillers in polymer composites due to their superior electrical and mechanical properties making them ideal for creating multifunctional composites. In this work, Ti3CN-epoxy composites were prepared via solvent processing and cured with amine-based hardener. The effects of Ti3CN content in the epoxy system on...

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are a large family of 2D materials. Although the first MXene was discovered in 2011 without any prior prediction of their existence, the family has grown significantly, both from the chemistry and application perspectives. There are about thirty stoichiometric MXene compo...

The self-assembly of nanoscale materials at the liquid-liquid interface allows for fabrication of three-dimensionally structured liquids with nearly arbitrary geometries and tailored electronic, optical, and magnetic properties. Two-dimensional (2D) materials are highly anisotropic, with thicknesses on the order of a nanometer and lateral dimension...

Nanomaterials dispersed in different media, such as liquids or polymers, generate a variety of functional composites with synergistic properties. In this work, we discuss liquid metals as the nanomaterials' dispersion media. For example, 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) can be efficiently dispersed in liquid Ga and lightweight all...

This book describes the rapidly expanding field of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes). It covers fundamental knowledge on synthesis, structure, and properti