Nanolamellar & 2D Materials

The research activities of Nanolamellar and 2D Materials axis is dedicated to:
i) the growth of single crystals of nanolamellar compounds, particularly MAX phases, via high-temperature solution growth to obtain high-quality macroscopic crystals;

ii) the synthesis of 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) through wet-chemical or molten-salt etching routes;

iii) the growth of 2D metal disulfides ultra-thin film heterostructures using Atomic/molecular Layer Deposition processes to enable upscaling and control of thickness at the nanometer scale

In the context of MXene synthesis, we focus on tailoring and controlling surface functional groups both directly during etching and through post-synthetic modification. For 2D disulfides, our research aims to achieve a detailed understanding of the chemical and structural mechanisms governing the key steps of growth, enabling improved control over the crystallinity and properties of the resulting materials.

A substantial part of our research relies on large-scale instrument facilities to probe the intrinsic structural, electronic, and chemical properties of nanolamellar and 2D materials. We widely use ARPES  measurements on MAX-phase single crystals, combined with DFT calculations, for detailed investigation of their electronic band structure. XAFS is employed to resolve the local coordination environment and oxidation states within MAX phases, MXenes and 2D sulfides, while XPS and valence-band XPS are used to monitor surface chemical transformations in MXenes under controlled atmospheres or external stimuli. As for ALD/MLD synthesis, we use a dedicated reactor that enables in situ optical analysis (ellipsometry) and chemical analysis (residual gas analysis) as well as and in situ synchrotron X-ray studies (XRF, XAFS, XRR, XRD). Laboratory-based analytical techniques (TEM, XRD, XRF, Raman spectroscopy, XPS) are regularly used to establish structure-property correlations.