On August 19th, Cailian News Agency announced that the South Korean

 Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced on Thursday 

(August 17th) that it had developed a new technology for mass production 

of "MXene", which is expected to open the path to mass production that

is still not achievable so far.

    It is reported that MXene is a type of two-dimensional inorganic 

compound in materials science. These materials are composed of 

transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides with several 

atomic layer thicknesses. It was first discovered in 2011, due to 

the presence of hydroxyl groups or terminal oxygen on the surface of

MXene materials, which have the metal conductivity of transition 

metal carbides.

    Due to its unique performance, MXene has quickly become a research 

hotspot and one of the most concerned two-dimensional nanomaterials after

graphene. It has been widely used in many fields such as energy storage,

catalysis, adsorption, and so on.

    However, the large-scale preparation of MXene is still relatively 

difficult, and related research is still in its infancy. More than 30 

different types of MXene materials have been discovered, which can be 

adjusted and optimized according to different application requirements.

    KIST published this paper in the journal Nanoscale, and the researchers

stated that MXene has different application fields depending on the Hall 

scattering factor. When the value is less than 1, it can be used for 

high-performance transistors, high-frequency generators, high-efficiency 

sensors, photodetectors, etc. If the value is greater than 1, it can be

 used for thermoelectric materials and magnetic sensors, etc.

    Lee Seung chul, Director of the KIST South Korea India Cooperation 

Center, wrote in a statement: "Unlike previous studies that focused on 

the production and characteristics of pure MXene, we have developed a 

new surface molecular analysis method that can easily classify manufactured 

MXene materials, which is a crucial step. Based on this, we anticipate that

mass production of MXene materials with uniform quality will become possible

What is MXene?

   MXene is a two-dimensional inorganic compound composed of transition

metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides, with a thickness of only a 

few atomic layers, resulting in extremely high specific surface area and

conductivity. The name MXene comes from its structure similar to MAX 

phase materials (M is a transition metal, A is the main group element, 

and X is carbon or nitrogen), but element A is etched out, forming a 

layered structure of Mn+1Xn (n=1,2,3). Due to the presence of functional

groups such as hydroxyl or terminal oxygen on the surface of MXene, it 

has hydrophilicity and adjustable surface chemistry.

    Since its first discovery in 2011, MXene has attracted widespread 

attention from both the scientific and industrial communities, and is 

considered one of the most promising two-dimensional nanomaterials after 

graphene. Due to its excellent electrical, optical, thermal, mechanical, 

and catalytic properties, MXene has shown enormous potential in various 

fields such as energy storage, sensors, electronic devices, biomedical, 

and environmental engineering.

The Application of MXene in the Field of Life Sciences

    Biosensor: MXene can serve as a high-performance receptor for detecting 

the state and function of biomolecules, cells, tissues, and organs. MXene 

can be combined with different types of sensors such as fluorescence, optics, 

electrochemistry, and field-effect transistors to achieve high selectivity, 

low detection limit, high sensitivity, and fast response in biological detection.

    Bioimaging: MXene can be used as a multifunctional imaging agent to 

improve the diagnostic efficiency and accuracy of tumors and other diseases. 

MXene can utilize its strong absorption ability in the near-infrared region 

and high attenuation performance of X-rays to enhance various imaging modes 

such as photoacoustic imaging, photothermal imaging, and X-ray computed tomography.

    Drug delivery: MXene can serve as an effective drug carrier for 

targeted drug delivery and controlled release. MXene can load different 

types of drug molecules through its surface terminal functional groups 

and interlayer gaps, and trigger drug release through external stimuli 

such as light, heat, electricity, or enzymes.

    Photothermal therapy: MXene can be used as an efficient photothermal 

agent to achieve thermal ablation of tumors and other pathological tissues. 

MXene can convert absorbed light energy into heat energy through its high 

photothermal conversion efficiency in the near-infrared region, and increase 

the local temperature to a level sufficient to kill cancer cells.

    Implants: MXene can be used as a material with good biocompatibility 

and electrical properties to prepare implantable medical devices, such as 

artificial bones, cardiac pacemakers, nerve stimulators, etc. MXene can 

form a good interface with human tissues and achieve signal transmission 

and regulation through its excellent mechanical toughness and conductivity.

summary

    If this study breaks through the key technical challenges of large-scale 

preparation of MXene and develops a simple method to distinguish different 

MXene materials. So this not only reduces the manufacturing cost of MXene, 

but also lays the foundation for achieving its commercial application. Based 

on the specific type and performance indicators of MXene, customized production 

of MXene for specific purposes can be achieved.

    This provides a guarantee for the widespread application of MXene in 

biomedical, high-performance electronic devices, sensors, thermoelectric conversion, 

energy storage, and other fields. The implementation of large-scale production of 

MXene will greatly promote the transformation of MXene scientific research achievements 

into practical applications, solve practical problems in the process of industrial 

development, and its scientific research achievements have significant scientific 

significance and broad application prospects.