Tubular MXenes: Breakthrough synthesis from UCT Prague

A research team from the Department of Inorganic Chemistry at UCT Prague, led by Prof. Zdenek Sofer, has introduced a new method for synthesizing materials known as MXenes—thin layers with exceptional properties that find applications in fields such as energy storage, filtration, and sensing.

What makes this research groundbreaking? For the first time, researchers succeeded in synthesizing Ti₃C₂Tx MXene using carbon microfibers (CF) as both the carbon source and a template. The resulting material exhibits a unique tubular morphology, where MXene layers are aligned along the carbon fibers, which can significantly influence its properties, such as ion or molecule transport rates.

Besides the new tubular morphology of Ti3C2Tx MXene, this work highlights how rational precursor design, specifically the carbon source, can control the final structure and properties of MXenes. Unlike traditional methods that focus on post-synthesis modifications, this approach introduces architectural tuning at the MAX phase stage. Moreover, the synthesis, performed in air, without the need for protective atmospheres, makes it more accessible for further research and industrial applications. This work opens new possibilities for the design of MXene-based materials and demonstrates the crucial role of carbon source selection in the design of MXenes.

The research findings were published in the prestigious journal Communications Materials by Nature under the title "Tubular MXenes: Synthesis of Ti₃C₂Tx Using Carbon Fibers as Carbon Source and Template."

The research was supported by the MSCA Fellowships CZ program and was carried out in collaboration with RWTH Aachen University in Germany. Filipa Oliveira worked on this project as a fellow at UCT Prague, with a secondment at the Institute of Mineral Engineering (GHI), Chair of Ceramics, RWTH Aachen University.

A link to the publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43246-025-00786-3