New 2D material transforms air into fuel and fertilizer

MXenes could revolutionize green ammonia production by turning air into fuel and fertilizer at the atomic level.

Scientists are working to make renewable technologies more efficient by studying ultra-thin materials known as two-dimensional (2D) materials. These materials could open new pathways for producing essential chemicals like ammonia, a key ingredient in fertilizer, through cleaner and more sustainable methods. Among these materials, a family called MXenes stands out. MXenes are low-dimensional compounds capable of converting components from the air into ammonia that can be used in fertilizers and transportation fuels. Their unique chemistry allows scientists to adjust their composition, providing precise control over their properties and performance. This research was detailed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society by chemical engineering professors Drs. Abdoulaye Djire and Perla Balbuena, along with Ph.D. candidate Ray Yoo.

Green MXene-bamboo paper electrodes offer flexible, waterproof wearable sensors

Researchers at National Taiwan University have developed biodegradable MXene–bamboo paper electrodes that combine flexibility, waterproof stability, and tunable conductivity. Encapsulated in a breathable Ecoflex layer, these scalable green electrodes enable wearable sensing, electromyography, and exoskeleton control, offering a sustainable pathway for next-generation assistive technologies. The biodegradable paper electrodes combine sustainability with high performance, offering a solution to the growing challenge of electronic waste. The study is published in Advanced Science. These electrodes, made by embedding MXene nanosheets into bamboo-derived cellulose nanofibers, are lightweight, flexible, and inexpensive to produce at scale. A breathable Ecoflex coating provides waterproof protection while preserving durability under repeated use.

Freestanding 3D MXene structures push the limits of microscale devices

In a breakthrough that could power next-generation electronics, sensors, and energy storage devices, CMU engineers have developed a fabrication technique that arranges MXene nanosheets, each a million times thinner than a sheet of paper, into complex 3D structures in just a single printing step. "A 3D arrangement of this 2D nanomaterial can help us reach the performance requirements for miniaturized electronic devices like microsupercapacitors and batteries," said Rahul Panat, lead author of the research published in Small. MXenes' outstanding mechanical strength and superior electrochemical stability have captivated researchers for more than a decade. However, their impressive properties alone are not enough to create high-performance devices. The material's architecture plays a crucial role by governing how efficiently ions and electrons move through an electrode. Without a carefully designed structure, even the most advanced MXenes can run into bottlenecks and barriers.

Ultra-clean MXenes deliver 160-fold higher conductivity

An international team of researchers has developed a breakthrough method for producing MXenes—an important family of two-dimensional materials—with unprecedented purity and control. The new "gas–liquid–solid" process enables the synthesis of pure MXenes with uniformly distributed halogen atoms on the surface and a precisely tunable surface composition. The method dramatically boosts their electrical conductivity and opens the door to high-performance electronics, sensors, and energy technologies. The researchers are affiliated with TU Dresden, Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics Halle, Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and partner institutions across Europe. The work is published in the journal Nature Synthesis.

Research reinvents MXene synthesis at a fraction of the cost

MXenes (pronounced like the name "Maxine") are a class of two-dimensional materials, first identified just 14 years ago, with remarkable potential for energy storage, catalysts, ultrastrong lightweight composites, and a variety of other purposes ranging from electromagnetic shielding to ink that can carry a current. But manufacturing MXenes has been expensive, difficult and crude. "MXenes have been made by a very elaborate, multi-step process that involved days of high-temperature work, followed by using dangerous chemicals like hydrofluoric acid and creating a lot of waste," said Prof. Dmitri Talapin of the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) and Department of Chemistry. "That may have been okay for early-stage research and lab exploration, but became a big roadblock for taking the next step to large-scale applications."

MXene-based e-tattoos harvest energy and monitor health in real time

Researchers at Boise State University have developed a breakthrough in wearable electronics: a multifunctional electronic tattoo (e‑tattoo) that integrates energy harvesting, energy storage, and real‑time biometric sensing into a single, skin‑conformal platform. The innovation leverages electrospun poly(vinyl butyral‑co‑vinyl alcohol‑co‑vinyl acetate) (PVBVA) fibers coated with titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂Tₓ) MXenes, offering a scalable, biocompatible, and durable alternative to conventional wearable devices that often rely on rigid substrates or external gels. The work is published in the journal Advanced Science.