Qihuang Deng

Photoluminescent Ti3C2 MXene Quantum Dots for Multicolor Cellular Imaging

The fabrication of photoluminescent Ti3 C2 MXene quantum dots (MQDs) by a facile hydrothermal method is reported, which may greatly extend the applications of MXene-based materials. Interestingly, the as-prepared MQDs show excitation-dependent photoluminescence spectra with quantum yields of up to ≈10% due to strong quantum confinement. The applications of MQDs as biocompatible multicolor cellular imaging probes and zinc ion sensors are demonstrated.

Loading Actinides in Multilayered Structures for Nuclear Waste Treatment: The First Case Study of Uranium Capture with Vanadium Carbide MXene

Efficient nuclear waste treatment and environmental management are important hurdles that need to be overcome if nuclear energy is to become more widely used. Herein, we demonstrate the first case of using two-dimensional (2D) multilayered V2CTx nanosheets prepared by HF etching of V2AlC to remove actinides from aqueous solutions. The V2CTx material is found to be a highly efficient uranium (U(VI)) sorbent, evidenced by a high uptake capacity of 174 mg g(-1), fast sorption kinetics, and desirable selectivity. Fitting of the sorption isotherm indicated that the sorption followed a heterogeneous adsorption model, most probably due to the presence of heterogeneous adsorption sites. Density functional theory calculations, in combination with X-ray absorption fine structure characterizations, suggest that the uranyl ions prefer to coordinate with hydroxyl groups bonded to the V-sites of the nanosheets via forming bidentate inner-sphere complexes.

Electronic structures and mechanical properties of Al(111)/ZrB2(0001) heterojunctions from first-principles calculation

Employing first-principles density functional theory (DFT), the structures and electronic and mechanical properties of Al(111)/ZrB2(0001) heterojunctions are investigated. It is found that both B-terminated ZrB2(0001) and Zr-terminated ZrB2(0001) can form heterojunction interfaces with Al(111) surface. The heterojunction with B-terminated ZrB2(0001) is demonstrated to be most stable by comparing the surface adhesion energies of six different heterojunction models. In the stable configurations, the Al atom is found projecting to the hexagonal hollow site of neighbouring boron layer for the B-terminated ZrB2(001), and locating at the top site of the boron atoms for Zr-terminated ZrB2(001) interface. The mechanisms of interface interaction are investigated by density of states, charge density difference and band structure calculations. It is found that covalent bonds between surface Al atoms and B atoms are formed in the B-terminated heterojunction, whereas the Al atoms and Zr atoms are stabilised by interface metallic bonds for the Zr-terminated case. Mechanical properties of Al/ZrB2 heterojunctions are also predicted in the current work. The values of moduli of Al/ZrB2 heterojunctions are determined to be between those of single crystal Al and ZrB2, which exhibit the transition of mechanical strength between two bulk phases. DFT calculations with the current models provide the mechanical properties for each heterojunction and the corresponding contributions by each type of interface in the composite materials. This work paves the way for industrial applications of Al(111)/ZrB2(0001) heterojunctions.

Facile preparation of in situ coated Ti3C2Tx/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 composites and their electromagnetic performance

A novel family of Ti3C2Tx/ferrite composites with high reflection loss was developed using a facile in situ co-precipitation method. The as-synthesized Ti3C2Tx/ferrite composite with a 5 wt% Ti3C2Tx MXenes loading exhibited high reflection loss (−42.5 dB) at 13.5 GHz. The effective absorption bandwidth of the 5 wt% Ti3C2Tx/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 composite reached ∼3 GHz (12–15 GHz) in the K-band. The incorporation of Ti3C2Tx MXenes improved the electromagnetic impedance of the Ti3C2Tx/Ni0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4 composite resulting from the enhanced electrical conductivity. The potential electromagnetic wave absorption mechanisms were revealed, which may contain magnetic loss, dielectric loss, conductivity loss, multiple reflections, and scattering. The technique is facile, fast, scalable, and favorable for the commercialization of this composite. This study provides a potential way to develop EM wave absorbing materials for a large family of MXenes/ferrite composites.

Enhanced thermal properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) composites with ultrathin nanosheets of MXene

Here, we report a facile method to delaminate MXene (Ti3C2Tx) and prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/MXene composites by solution blending. Compared with neat PVDF, the PVDF composites with varying content of MXene (0–5 wt%) showed an enhancement in the PVDF thermal conductivity. In particular, when a loading of 5 wt% was attained, the thermal conductivity was increased to 0.363 W mK−1, an approximate 1-fold enhancement compared with that of neat PVDF. In addition, MXene also exhibited a better performance in enhancing the thermal dynamic mechanical properties of PVDF. For instance, PVDF composites with only 5 wt% MXene exhibited a storage modulus as high as 7501 MPa, corresponding to a 64% enhancement compared with that of neat PVDF. In light of the excellent thermal properties of the PVDF/MXene composites, they can be expected to have a wide range of potential applications in thermal interfacial materials and structural components.