Tuesday publication post! 📖 In this newest publication, the authors used the #AtmosphereAX system to investigate how Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXenes degrade under realistic environmental conditions using in situ gas-cell TEM.
By controlling O₂ and H₂O vapor atmospheres, the authors directly visualize how the environment influences the oxidation pathway, reaction kinetics, and resulting TiO₂ phases.
Key findings:
🔬 O₂ exposure drives rapid oxidation through strong chemisorption, severe lattice strain, and the formation of a mixture of rutile and anatase TiO₂.
💧 H₂O vapor triggers oxidation at a lower temperature (~220 °C), but the process is significantly slower and self-limiting.
🧪 Water-driven oxidation preferentially produces anatase TiO₂ with a more relaxed lattice, linked to hydroxyl-mediated passivation.
⚡ The study identifies a clear adsorption hierarchy (O₂ > H₂O) that influences reaction barriers and phase evolution.
💡 The findings highlight why environmental control is critical for preserving MXene stability: moisture must be minimized for low-temperature stability, while oxygen exposure should be avoided during high-temperature processing.
This work demonstrates how #AtmosphereAX enables direct visualization of material transformations under controlled gas environments, providing new insights into the degradation and stability of 2D materials for optoelectronics, energy storage, and other applications.
Want to read the entire work?
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.76211
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