Cette thèse vise à étudier les propriétés électrochimiques de graphène et de MXenes utilisés en tant que matériaux d'électrodes pour supercondensateurs. La première partie concerne la synthèse du graphène et la préparation des films d'électrode. Après immersion dans un mélange contenant une concentration de 10wt% de mélange de liquides ionique ((PYP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI) dans l'acétonitrile et séchage sous vide, un film de gel de graphène est obtenu, qui est ensuite caractérisé électrochimiquement dans l'électrolyte ((PYP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI pur ; une capacité de 175F/g est alors obtenue. L'intérêt de cette méthode de synthèse est d'améliorer l'accessibilité de la surface du graphène en pré-intercalant entre les feuillets les liquides ioniques. L'utilisation de ce mélange eutectique de liquides ioniques (PYP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI permet également d'augmenter considérablement la plage de température d'utilisation du système (de -40°C à 80°C), grâce à l'absence de solidification du mélange eutectique jsuque -60°C. Dans une deuxième partie, nous nous sommes intéressés à de nouveaux matériaux 2 Dimmensions, les MXènes, et plus particulièrement à la phase Ti3C2Tx. Des films de Ti3C2Tx. ont été préparés suivant le même protocole que précédemment, à la différence près que les feuillets de MXènes ont d'abord été pré-intercalés avec H2SO4. Les électrodes de Ti3C2Tx ainsi préparées montrent des capacités extrêmement élevées de 380 F/ g avec des capacités volumiques dépassant les 1500 F/cm3 dans l'électrolyte 3 M H2SO4. Ces performances surpassent tous les résultats rapportés pour les MXenes à ce jour ; ces capacités sont même comparables avec celles obtenues avec des matériaux pseudocapacitifs comme le RuO2. Pour terminer, les électrodes de Ti3C2Tx pré-intercalées avec du liquide ionique EMI-TFSI ont été étudiées dans l'électrolyte liquide ionique pur (EMI-TFSI). Des capacités atteignant 80 F/g ont tout d'abord été obtenues dans un domaine de potentiel de 3 V, ce qui constitue à ce jour les meilleurs résultats obtenus avec les MXenes en milieu liquide ionique pur. En plus de ces performances électrochimiques remarquables, le mécanisme de stockage des charges a également été étudié diffraction des RX in-situ. Les résultats ont montré que la distance entre deux feuillets de MXenes augmente lors de polarisations négatives du fait de l'effet stérique associé à l'insertion des cations EMI+. Différemment, la diminution de cette même distance inter-feuillets durant les polarisations positives a été attribuée à a) l'attraction électrostatique entre les anions TFSI intercalés et la surface Ti3C2Tx chargée positivement et/ou à b) l'effet stérique lors de la désinsertion des cations EMI+ présents. Cette thèse montre le potentiel prometteur de graphène et MXenes pré-intercalés avec des électrolytes de type liquides ioniques en tant que matériaux d'électrodes pour la réalisation de supercondensateurs de grande densité d'énergie fonctionnant en milieu aqueux ou organique. / This thesis aims at studying the electrochemical properties of graphene and MXenes materials used as electrode in supercapacitor applications. The first part starts with the graphene synthesis and electrode films preparation. After immersion in a solution of 10wt% ((PIP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI) in acetonitrile electrolyte and vacuum drying, a graphene gel film was obtained and electrochemically characterized in (PIP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI ionic liquid mixture electrolyte. The combination of high-voltage electrolyte with fully accessible, high surface area graphene film enables to achieve high gravimetric capacitance up to 175 F/g in neat ionic liquid electrolyte. A large operation temperature range from -40 to 80 oC was achieved thanks to the use of (PIP13)0.5(PYR14)0.5-TFSI ionic liquid eutectic mixture which does not show any phase change down to -60°C. In a second part, we processed 2-Dimmensional Ti3C2Tx MXene materials into gel film using a similar approach that we did for graphene. Ti3C2Tx shows extremely high capacitance of 380 F/g and 1500 F/cm3 in 3 M H2SO4 electrolyte, which i) surpass all the reported results for MXenes so far and ii) show at least similar performance than pseudocapacitive materials such as RuO2. Besides, Ti3C2Tx MXene gel films were also studied in neat ionic liquid electrolyte (EMI-TFSI). A capacitance of 80 F/g was achieved with good rate performance, which is today the best performance obtained in neat ionic liquid for these materials. More interestingly, the charge storage mechanism was further studied by in- situ XRD technique. This in-situ study has evidenced two different charge storage mechanism. During negative polarization, the interlayer spacing in MXene flakes increases due to steric effect during EMI+ cation insertion. Differently, the decrease in the interlayer spacing during positive polarization was ascribed to i) electrostatic attraction between the intercalated TFSI- anions and positively-charged Ti3C2Tx surface and/or ii) a steric effect of EMI+ cations de-intercalation. This thesis presents the promising potential for using Graphene and MXenes as electrode materials for supercapacitor, and shed lights on further development of these materials.

Nanomaterials have been served as essential building blocks in the era of nanotechnology. Nanomaterials often exhibit different properties compared to their bulk phase, due to heavily enlarged portion of surface characteristics to the bulk. Beyond the simple size- effect, nanomaterials can be classified into 0D, 1D, and 2D materials depends on the number of restricted dimensionalities. They exhibit different unique properties and transport mechanism due to the quantum confinement effect. MXenes are one of the latest additions of 2D material family that can be obtained by selective chemical etching and exfoliation of layered ternary precursors (Mn+1AXn phases). Due to the unique etch process, surface functional groups (such as oxygen, hydroxyl, fluorine, etc) are formed at the surface of MXenes. This benefits MXenes for stable aqueous dispersions due to their hydrophilic surface. The coexistence of hydrophilicity and high electrical conductivity promised MXenes in superior performance in electrochemical energy storage and electromagnetic interference shielding applications. These characteristics are equally important for electronic applications. From the synthesis of MXene suspension to thin film deposition by spray-coating and photolithography patterning of MXene films are discussed for electronic device applications of MXenes. Vacuum-assisted filtration method was used for Mo-based MXene freestanding papers for investigation of thermoelectric energy harvesting performances. Both n-type ZnO and p-type SnO thin film transistors with MXene electrical contacts (gate, source, and drain electrodes) have been demonstrated by lift-off patterning method. Their complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) inverter exhibits a high gain value of 80 V/V at a supply voltage of 5 V. The lift-off patterning is simple but effective method for top-contact electrode patterning. However, it has a disadvantage of remaining sidewall-like MXene residue, resulting in leakage issues in the bottom-contact transistor structure. Hence, dry-etch patterning method is developed which allows direct patterning of MXene nanosheet thin films through conventional photolithography process. The conductive MXene electrode array was integrated into a quantum dot electric double layer transistors by all solution processes, which possess impressive performance including electron mobility of 3.3 cm2/V·s, current modulation of 104, threshold voltage as low as 0.36 V at low driving gate voltage range of only 1.25 V.

Yes / MXenes (viz., transition metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides) have emerged as a new subclass of 2D materials. Due to their outstanding physicochemical and biological properties, MXenes have gained much attention in the biomedical field in recent years, including drug delivery systems, regenerative medicine, and biosensing. Additionally, the incorporation of MXenes into hydrogels has garnered significant interest in biomedical engineering as an electroactive and mechanical nanoreinforcer capable of converting nonconductive scaffolds into excellent conductors of electricity with an impressive effect on mechanical properties for the engineering of electroactive organs and tissues such as cardiac, skeletal muscle, and nerve. However, many questions and problems remain unresolved that need to be answered to usher these 2D materials toward their true destiny. Thus, this review paper aims to provide an overview of the design and applications of MXene-integrated composites for biomedical applications, including cardiac tissue engineering, wound healing, infection therapy, cancer therapy, and biosensors. Moreover, the current challenges and limitations of utilizing MXenes in vivo are highlighted and discussed, followed by its prospects as a guideline toward possible various futuristic biomedical applications. This review article will inspire researchers, who search for properties, opportunities, and challenges of using this 2D nanomaterial in biomedical applications. / Open Access Funding provided by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia within the CRUI-CARE Agreement.

The recent discovery of layered transition metal carbides (MXenes) is one of the most important developments in two-dimensional (2D) materials. Preliminary theoretical and experimental studies suggest a wide range of potential applications for MXenes. The MXenes are prepared by chemically etching ‘A’-layer element from layered ternary metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides (MAX phases) through aqueous acid treatment, which results in various surface terminations such as hydroxyl, oxygen or fluorine. It has been found that surface terminations play a critical role in defining MXene properties and affects MXene performance in different applications such as electrochemical energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, water purification, sensors and catalysis. Also, the electronic, thermoelectric, structural, plasmonic and optical properties of MXenes largely depend upon surface terminations. Thus, controlling the surface chemistry if MXenes can be an efficient way to improve their properties. This research mainly aims to perform surface modifications of two commonly studied MXenes; Ti2C and Ti3C2, via chemical, thermal or physical processes to enhance electrochemical energy storage properties. The as-prepared and surface modified MXenes have been studied as electrode materials in Li-ion batteries (LIBs) and supercapacitors (SCs). In pursuit of desirable MXene surface, we have developed an in-situ room temperature oxidation process, which resulted in TiO2/MXene nanocomposite and enhanced Li-ion storage. The idea of making metal oxide and MXene nanocomposites was taken to the next level by combining a high capacity anode materials – SnO2 – and MXene. By taking advantage of already existing surface functional groups (–OH), we have developed a composite of SnO2/MXene by atomic layer deposition (ALD) which showed enhanced capacity and excellent cyclic stability. Thermal annealing of MXene at elevated temperature under different atmospheres was carried out and detailed surface chemistry was studied to analyze the change in surface functional groups and its effect on electrochemical performance. Also, we could replace surface functional groups with desirable heteroatoms (e.g., nitrogen) by plasma processing and studied their effect on energy storage properties. This work provides an experimental baseline for surface modification of MXene and helps to understand the role of various surface functional groups in MXene electrode electrochemical performance.

The increased deployment for renewable energy sources to mitigate the climate crisis has accelerated the need to develop efficient energy storage devices. Batteries are at the top of the list of the most in-demand devices in the current decade. Nowadays, research is in full swing to develop a battery that meets the needs of today’s renewable energy systems, which are intermittent by nature. Within the framework of improving the performance of batteries, there are parameters in the composition of the battery that play an important role in its performance: electrode materials, electrolytes, separators, and other factors. The key to battery development is the manufacture of electrode materials with optimal properties. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have led to advances in this field, firstly, using graphite as the anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, when using the standard graphite as the anode for sodium-ion batteries (NIBs), the large ionic size and energetic instability of Na+ limit intercalation, resulting in a low storage capacity. Therefore, other 2D materials with large interlayer spacing need to be identified for use as electrodes. In this dissertation, our approach is focus on optimizing anode electrode materials by in situ conversion of 2D materials to obtain hybrid materials. These hybrids materials will synergistically improve the performance of LIBs and NIBs by combining the advantages of individual 2D materials. Starting with converted Ti0.87O2 nanosheets to the TiO2/TiS2 hybrid nanosheets. Then, taking advantage of the properties of MXene, we developed hybrid electrodes based on MXenes by converted V2CTx MXene into V2S3@C@V2S3 heterostructures. Finally, we boosted the redox kinetics and cycling stability of Mo2CTx MXene by using a laser scribing process to construct a multiple-scale Mo2CTx/Mo2C-carbon (LS-Mo2CTx) hybrid material.

MXenes, a new class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, have recently demonstrated impressive optoelectronic properties associated with its ultrathin layered structure. Particularly, Ti3C2Tx, the most studied MXene by far, was shown to exhibit intense surface plasmons (SPs), i.e. collective oscillations of free charge carriers, when excited by electromagnetic waves. However, due to the lack of information about the spatial and energy variation of those SPs over individual MXene flakes, the potential use of MXenes in photonics and plasmonics is still marginally explored. Hence, the main objective of this dissertation is to shed the light upon the plasmonic behavior of MXenes at the nanoscale and extend their use beyond their typical electrochemical applications. To fulfill our objective, we first elucidated the underlying characteristics governing the plasmonic behavior of MXenes. Then, we revealed the existence of various tunable SP modes supported by different MXenes, i.e. Ti3C2Tx and Mo2CTx, and investigated their energy and spatial distribution over individual flakes. Further, we fabricated an array of MXene-based flexible photodetectors that only operate at the resonant frequency of the SPs supported by MXenes. We also unveiled the existence of tunable SPs supported by another 2D nanomaterial (i.e. MoO2) and juxtaposed its plasmonic behavior with that of MXenes, to underline the uniqueness of the latter. Noteworthy, as in the case of MXenes, this was the first progress made on studying specific SP modes supported by MoO2 nanostructures. In this part of the dissertation, we were able to identify and tailor multipolar SPs supported by MoO2 and illustrate their dependence on their bulk band structure. In the end, we show that, on the contrary, SPs in MXenes are mainly controlled by the surface band structure. To confirm this, we selectively altered the subsurface band structure of Ti3C2Tx and modulated its work function (from 4.37 to 4.81 eV) via charge transfer doping. Interestingly, thanks to the unchanged surface stoichiometry of Ti3C2Tx, the plasmonic behavior of Ti3C2Tx was not affected by its largely tuned electronic structure. Notably, the ability to attain MXenes with tunable work functions, yet without disrupting their plasmonic behavior, is appealing to many application fields.

The aim of this thesis is to advance the field of solid lubrication science by developing coatings that provide reliable performance in ambient conditions, work on rough surfaces, and are amenable to industrial size and design complexities. Two different coating systems, Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 and Ti3C2Tx-Graphene Oxide blends, were studied in this work. The Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 nanocomposites were spray-coated onto rough 52100-grade steel surfaces, and their tribological performance was evaluated in a ball-on-disk configuration in a unidirectional sliding mode. The test results indicate that Ti3C2Tx-MoS2 coatings achieved superlubricity, which has not been previously reported for either pristine material under macroscale sliding conditions. The observed synergistic mechanism enabled the superlative performance, which was explained by the in-situ formation of a robust tribolayer responsible for sustained lubricity even at high contact pressures (>1.1 GPa) and sliding speeds (0.1 m/s). Processing, structure, and property correlation studies were conducted to understand the underlying phenomena. Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to reveal the formation of the tribolayer. The Ti3C2Tx-Graphene Oxide blends were also spray-coated onto rough-bearing steel surfaces, and their tribological assessment was carried out in ambient environmental conditions and high contact pressures in a ball-on-disc experimental setup. The coatings led to substantial friction reduction compared to uncoated and single-component-coated surfaces, with a friction coefficient as low as 0.065 at 1 GPa contact pressure and 100 mm/s sliding speed, surpassing the state-of-the-art. The coatings also provided excellent protection against wear loss of the substrate and counter-face. The results were explained based on the observations from Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and nanoindentation measurements. The in-operando formation of a dense, hard, and stiff tribolayer was observed, which was responsible for the sustained lubricity even at high test loads and sliding speeds. This thesis presents a holistic exploration and correlation of structure-property-processing for the advancement of solid lubrication science. It provides insights into the development of solid lubricant materials and their tribological performance, which can be useful for various industrial applications.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / The field of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials first began in earnest with the discovery of graphene in 2004 due to their unique shape-dependent optical, electronic, and mechanical properties. These properties arise due to their one-dimensional confinement and are further influenced by the elemental composition of the inorganic crystal lattice. There has been an intense focus on developing new compositions of 2D nanomaterials to take advantage of their intrinsic beneficial properties in a variety of applications including catalysis, energy storage and harvesting, sensing, and polymer nanocomposites. However, compared to the field of bulk materials, the influence of surface chemistry on 2D nanomaterials is still underdeveloped. 2D nanomaterials are considered an “all-surface” atomic structure with heights of a single to few layers of atoms. The synthetic methods used to produce 2D materials include bottom-up colloidal methods and top-down exfoliation related techniques. Both cases result in poorly controlled surface chemistry with many undercoordinated surface atoms and/or undesirable molecules bound to the surface. Considering the importance surfaces play in most applications (i.e., catalysis and polymer processing) it is imperative to better understand how to manipulate the surface of 2D nanomaterials to unlock their full technological potential. Through a focus of the ligand-surface atom bonding in addition to the overall ligand structure we highlight the ability to direct morphological outcomes in lead free halide perovskites, maximize optoelectronic responses in substoichiometric tungsten oxide, and alter physicochemical properties titanium carbide MXenes. The careful control of precursor materials including poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) surface ligands during the synthesis of bismuth halide perovskites resulted in the formation of 2D quasi-Ruddlesden-Popper phase nanomaterials. Through small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) we were able to conclude that an in-situ formation of an amino functional group on our PEG-amine ligand was inserted into the perovskite crystal lattice enabling 2D morphology formation. Additionally, through UV-vis absorption and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopies we were able to develop a complete electronic band structure of materials containing varying halides (i.e., Cl, Br, and I). Furthermore, through the increased solubility profile of the PEG ligands we observed solvent controlled assemblies of varying mesostructures. We developed an ex-situ ligand treatment to manipulate the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) response of anion vacancy doped tungsten oxide (WO3-x) nanoplatelets (NPLs). Upon ligand treatment to alter the surface passivating ligand from carboxylic acid containing myristic acid (MA) to tetradecylphosphonic acid (TDPA) we observed a >100 nm blue shift in the LSPR response. Using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopies in conjunction with DFT calculated Raman spectra we were able to conclude this shift was due to the formation of tridentate phosphonate bonds on the NPLs surface. Phosphonate bonding allows for an increase in surface passivation per ligand decreasing surface trapped electrons. These previously trapped electrons were then able to participate as free electrons in the LSPR response. Electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR) further supported this decrease in surface traps through a decrease and shift of the EPR signal related to metal oxide surface trapped electrons. Lastly, using our knowledge of PEG ligands we were able to modify esterification chemistry to covalently attach PEG ligands to a MXene surface. The successful formation of an ester bond between a carboxylic acid containing PEG ligand and hydroxyl terminating group on the MXene surface was supported by FTIR spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. The attachment of PEG resulted in a drastic change in the hydrophilicity of the MXene surface. Where MXenes were previously only processed in extremely polar solvents the PEG attachment allowed for high dispersibility in a wide range of polar and non-polar organic solvents, effectively increasing their processability. Further, this chemistry was modified to include an additional functional group on the PEG ligand to increase the valency of the post-modification MXene nanoflakes. Overall, work presented in this dissertation represents the development and application of surface chemistry to relatively new 2D nanomaterials. We believe our work significantly increases the knowledge of 2D halide perovskite formation, manipulation of LSPR active metal oxide materials, and the future processing of MXene materials.

<p>Some molecular complexes exhibiting bistability between two different spin states have been subject to vast investigations. Spin crossover and valence tautomerism interconversion molecular compounds are such examples showing this dynamic switching behavior and are a route toward designing molecular devices with a facile readout due to the change in the spin state that accompanies the change in conductance. Due to their extensive potential applications in industry and research, they are among the most interesting topics in spintronics. Spin state switching processes provide the foundation for applications in molecule-based devices. The main goal is to study the parameters that affect the intramolecular electron transfer between different spin states in spin crossover molecular thin films and the electron transfer between the metal center and redox-active ligands in valence tautomer thin films. </p> <p>Because substrate effects are important for any molecular-based device, there are increasing efforts to study the influence of the substrate on spin state transition. While some non-metallic substrates like graphite seem to be promising from experimental measurements, theoretical and experimental studies indicate that 2D semiconductor surfaces will have minimum interaction with spin crossover molecules.</p> <p>In this work, the functionality of two different spin crossover molecules sublimated on the ferroelectric Polyvinylidene Fluoride Hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) layer and 2D Ti3C2 MXene thin film is studied. We report the temperature-dependent spin state transition of spin crossover molecules, [Fe{H2B(pz)2}2 (bipy)], thin films, and valance tautomer [Co(sq)(cat)(3-tpp)2] thin films. Using a UV-Vis spectrometer and a specific lab-built sample holder we were able to perform the measurement at temperatures as low as 90 K and as high as 440 K. Temperature-dependent UV-Vis data show that the transition temperature from the high spin state to the low spin state and vice versa is well below the room temperature. However, for isothermal switching purposes, we designed and fabricated a bilayer device with PVDF-HFP thin films as the substrate to facilitate isothermal switching close to room temperature. The retention of voltage-controlled nonvolatile changes to the electronic structure in bilayers of PVDF-HFP/[Fe{H2B(pz)2}2(bipy)] and PVDF-HFP/[Co(sq)(cat)(3-tpp)2] strongly depends on the thickness of the PVDF-HFP layer. </p> <p>While the electric transport measurement revealed that doping the SCO layer with Ti3C2 MXene flakes can significantly improve the conductivity of the spin crossover molecular thin films, the temperature-dependent UV-Vis measurements represent that the adjacent MXene layer can cause a lock in the given spin state or a change in the transition temperature dramatically.</p> <p><br></p>

2D transition metal carbides and/or nitrides, so-called MXenes, are noted as ideal fast-charging cation-intercalation electrode materials, which nevertheless suffer from limited specific capacities. Herein, it is reported that constructing redox-active phosphorus−oxygen terminals can be an attractive strategy for Nb4C3 MXenes to remarkably boost their specific capacities for ultrafast Na+ storage. As revealed, redox-active terminals with a stoichiometric formula of PO2- display a metaphosphate-like configuration with each P atom sustaining three P-O bonds and one P=O dangling bond. Compared with conventional O-terminals, metaphosphate-like terminals empower Nb4C3 (denoted PO2-Nb4C3) with considerably enriched carrier density (fourfold), improved conductivity (12.3-fold at 300 K), additional redox-active sites, boosted Nb redox depth, nondeclined Na+-diffusion capability, and buffered internal stress during Na+ intercalation/de-intercalation. Consequently, compared with O-terminated Nb4C3, PO2-Nb4C3 exhibits a doubled Na+-storage capacity (221.0 mAh g-1), well-retained fast-charging capability (4.9 min at 80% capacity retention), significantly promoted cycle life (nondegraded capacity over 2000 cycles), and justified feasibility for assembling energy−power-balanced Na-ion capacitors. This study unveils that the molecular-level design of MXene terminals provides opportunities for developing simultaneously high-capacity and fast-charging electrodes, alleviating the energy−power tradeoff typical for energy-storage devices.