<p dir="ltr">Computational materials science has emerged as a powerful technique to discover and develop new materials in past decades, primarily because accurate computational modeling can act as guidance before performing experiments that are expensive and time-consuming. However, modeling material behaviors across different scales of length and time poses a challenge, accentuating the importance of choosing appropriate levels of approximations and theories. First principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT) are essential to predict the electronic structure of periodic crystalline systems. We will discuss a prediction of chemical doping induced metal-to-insulator transition (MIT) of transition metal perovskites owing to the variation of the electronic occupation. Nevertheless, electronic structure predictions based on DFT are not without limitation as it fails when treating strongly correlated electronic system due to the over-delocalization of valence electrons. In principle, adding on-site Hubbard U corrects this error with a low computational cost. Using an example of a two-dimensional rare-earth MXene, we demonstrate the essence of choosing the appropriate U value self-consistently for the prediction of electronic and magnetic configurations. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) can be employed to study the dynamic evolution of complex condensed systems with thousands to millions of atoms at the atomistic and molecular levels. Carbon fiber manufacturing is an established industry, though the fiber produced achieves only 10% of its theoretical tensile strength. Therefore, optimizing the carbon fiber processing is a pressing topic. To achieve this, we study two steps, spinning and stabilization, of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based fiber fabrication at the molecular level using MD. We will discuss the realistic molecular structure of the spun PAN and the properties affected by its structural heterogeneity. Moreover, for the following step, we develop a PAN stabilization simulator, an automated workflow that addresses the underlying chemistry and the molecular-level structure-property relationship, often inaccessible through experiments.</p>

Lasers are increasingly used for a wide range of different applications for both civil and military purposes. Due to the distinct properties of laser light, use of lasers often comes with a risk of damage to the human eye and other optical sensors. Therefore, an effective laser protection is needed. 2D-materials is a relatively new class of materials, which have shown to possess many unique properties compared to its bulk counterparts. Some 2D-materials exhibit nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, and specifically optical power limiting (OPL) effects, and have therefore been researched for laser protection applications. In this work, two different 2D-materials, MXene Ti3C2 and graphene oxide (GO), have been combined with a hybrid organic-inorganic polymer, a so called melting gel (MG), to synthesise nanocomposites possessing OPL effects for laser protection applications. Different methods of incorporating the 2D-materials in the polymer matrix as well as the effect on optical properties of different concentrations of 2D-materials were investigated. The prepared nanocomposites were characterised using optical microscopy, spectroscopy and OPL measurements in order to investigate and quantify their linear and nonlinear optical properties. The MG was optically clear, mechanically stable and easy to synthesise, which makes it a suitable candidate as a matrix for a laser protection nanocomposite. Additionally, it was possible to dope the MG with the two different 2D-materials to create nanocomposites showing desirable optical properties in the visible spectrum. However, many samples showed signs of clustered 2D-particles indicating that the dispersion could be improved. Finally, OPL measurements, performed at 532 nm, showed that the MG itself exhibited OPL effects, both 2D-materials showed a stronger OPL effect than the non-doped MG and that GO-doped samples gave a better protection than the MXene samples.

<div> <div> <div> <p> </p><div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <div> <p> </p><div> <div> <div> <p>Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes), have been recently receiving attention for gas sensing applications due to their high specific area and rich surface functionalities. However, using pristine 2D materials for gas-sensing applications presents some drawbacks, including high operation temperatures, low gas response, and poor selectivity, limiting their practical sensing applications. Moreover, one of the long-standing challenges of MXenes is their poor stability against hydration and oxidation in a humid environment, which negatively influences their long- term storage and applications. Many studies have reported that the sensitivity and selectivity of 2D materials can be improved by surface functionalization and hybridization with other materials.</p><p>In this work, the effects of surface functionalization and/or hybridization of these two materials classes (TMDCs and MXenes) on their gas sensing performance have been investigated. In one of the lines of research, 2D MoS2 nanoflakes were functionalized with Au nanoparticles as a sensing material, providing a performance enhancement towards sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at room temperature. Next, a nanocomposite film composed of exfoliated MoS2, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and Cu(I)−tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate complexes was the sensing material used for the design of a chemiresistive sensor for the selective detection of ethylene (C2H4). Moreover, the hybridization of MXene (Ti3C2Tx) and TMDC (WSe2) as gas-sensing materials was also proposed. The Ti3C2Tx/WSe2 hybrid sensor reveals high sensitivity, good selectivity, low noise level, and ultrafast response/recovery times for the detection of various VOCs. Lastly, we demonstrated a surface functionalization strategy for Ti3C2Tx with fluoroalkylsilane (FOTS) molecules, providing a superhydrophobic surface, mechanical/environmental stability, and excellent sensing performance. The strategies presented here can be an effective solution for not only improving materials' stability, but also enhancing sensor performance, shedding light on the development of next-generation field-deployable sensors.</p> </div> </div> </div><div><div><div><div><div><div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div> </div> </div> </div></div></div></div><div><div><div> </div> </div> </div>

The demand for today's material resources for energy storage is rapidly increasing and can result in both environmental and political conflicts that can affect the development of electronic devices due to high prices and limitations of raw materials for batteries. In this study, potential future composite electrodes were synthesised with an ex-situ approach by compositing redox-active 2,6-Diaminoanthraquinone and 1,3,5-Triformylphloroglucinol covalent organic framework (DAAQ-TFP COF) with conductive delaminated Ti3C2Tx MXene to maximise the number of redox-active moieties during cycling. In addition, solvothermal synthesis with the implementation of mechanical grinding as an exfoliation method was used to try to obtain DAAQ-TFP nanosheets to increase both the contact area between the two materials and the number of charge carriers. The sample was analysed with PXRD and BET surface analysis to characterise the crystallinity meanwhile SEM was utilised to study the morphology of the COF and the composite material. The specific capacitance of each electrode was estimated by cyclic voltammetry. The study showed a decrease in reduced specific capacitance with lower MXene content. Hence, this concludes pure Ti3C2Tx sheets have the highest capacitance contribution with a value of 48.79 Fg-1 meanwhile the composite electrode with a ratio of 1:1 was estimated to 32.26 Fg-1 with 0.0928 % of its moieties undergoing a redox reaction. A reduced capacitance with an increased COF-MXene ratio indicates that MXene contributes with more capacity relative to the COF, in combination with a non-successful exfoliation of DAAQ-TFP to single-layered nanosheets, reducing the interactions between the two materials.

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.

Constructing dual-ion energy storage devices using anion-intercalation graphite cathodes offers the unique opportunity to simultaneously achieve high energy density and output power density. However, a critical challenge remains in the lack of proper anodes that match with graphite cathodes, particularly in sustainable electrolyte systems using abundant potassium. Here, a surface grafting approach utilizing multifunctional azobenzene sulfonic acid is reported, which transforms V2C MXene into a high-kinetics K+-intercalation anode (denoted ASA-V2C) for dual-ion energy storage devices. Importantly, the grafted azobenzene sulfonic acid offers extra K+-storage centers and fast K+-hopping sites, while concurrently acting as a buffer between V2C layers to mitigate the structural distortion during K+ intercalation/de-intercalation. These functionalities enable the V2C electrode with significantly enhanced specific capacity (173.9 mAh g−1 vs 121.5 mAh g−1 at 0.05 A g−1), rate capability (43.1% vs 12.0% at 20 A g−1), and cycling stability (80.3% vs 45.2% after 900 cycles at 0.05 A g−1). When coupled with an anion-intercalation graphite cathode, the ASA-V2C anode demonstrates its potential in a dual-ion energy storage device. Notably, the device depicts a maximum energy density of 175 Wh kg−1 and a supercapacitor-comparable power density of 6.5 kW kg−1, outperforming recently reported Li+-, Na+-, and K+-based dual-ion devices.

Les objectifs de ce travail sont d'une part d'étudier la structure électronique de carbures de titane bidimensionnels appartenant à la famille des MXènes, et d'autre part de synthétiser des films minces pour caractériser certaines de leurs propriétés. L'étude de la structure électronique a été réalisée sur le système Ti3C2T2 avec une attention particulière portée aux groupements de surface T (T=OH, F ou O) en comparant les résultats obtenus par spectroscopie de perte d'énergie des électrons à ceux des calculs ab initio. Cette étude, portée à la fois sur les excitations du gaz d'électrons de valence et des électrons de coeur, a permis de mettre en évidence la localisation des groupements de surface, ainsi que leur influence sur la structure électronique du MXene. La comparaison des simulations et des spectres expérimentaux a également permis de caractériser la nature chimique des groupements de surface. Enfin, la limite d'une telle étude est discutée en considérant les phénomènes d'irradiation responsables de la perte d'atomes d'hydrogène. La synthèse d'échantillons modèles nécessite la synthèse préalable d'un film mince de phase MAX précurseur pour le MXene : nous avons choisi la phase Ti2AlC, précurseur de Ti2C. La synthèse de Ti2AlC a été réalisée par recuit ex-situ de systèmes multicouches déposés à température ambiante. Les films ont été caractérisés par diffraction des rayons X et microscopie électronique en transmission. Au-delà de l'obtention d'un film mince de Ti2AlC texturé, cette étude a permis de montrer que la phase recherchée était obtenue via des mécanismes d'interdiffusions induisant la formation d'une solution solide métastable vers 400°C qui se transforme en phase MAX vers 600°C. Enfin, l'application de ce procédé à la phase V2AlC a permis de montrer l'importance de l'orientation de la phase initiale pour l'obtention d'un film mince texturé. / The aim of this work is at first to study the electronic structure of bidimensional titanium carbide systems, belonging to the MXene family and also to synthesize thin films of such new materials to characterize their properties. The study of the electronic structure has been performed for the Ti3C2T2 MXene with a special attention to the T surface groups by using a combination of electron energy loss spectroscopy and ab initio calculations. This study, focused on both valence and core electrons excitations, enabled the identification of the surface group localization, their influence on the MXene electronic structure as well as their chemical nature. The limits of our TEM-based study is also discussed in view of irradiation phenomena which induce the loss of hydrogen atoms. The synthesis of a MXene thin film requires, beforehand, that of a MAX phase thin film: we opted for Ti2AlC, the precursor for the Ti2C MXene. The MAX phase thin film synthesis was carried out by ex-situ annealing of a multilayer layers. X-ray diffraction experiments and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy observations show that a highly textured Ti2AlC thin film is obtained above 600°C after the formation, at 400°C, of a metastable solid solution. Finally, by using the same process for V2AlC, we demonstrate that the initial phase orientation plays a key role for the texture of the thin film so obtained.