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Ti3C2T x MXene Thin Films and Intercalated Species Characterized by IR-to-UV Broadband Ellipsometry
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Ti3C2T x MXene Thin Films and Intercalated Species Characterized by IR-to-UV Broadband Ellipsometry

Andreas Furchner, Tetiana Parker, Vincent Mauchamp, Simon Hurand, Julian Plaickner, Joerg Rappich, Aline Alencar Emerenciano, Karsten Hinrichs, Yury Gogotsi and Tristan Petit
Journal of physical chemistry. C, v 129(1), pp 500-507
09 Jan 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06906
url
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c06906View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified),  Open

Abstract

Chemistry Chemistry, Physical Materials Science Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Physical Sciences Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Technology
MXenes are two-dimensional (2D) materials with versatile applications in optoelectronics, batteries, and catalysis. To unlock their full potential, it is crucial to characterize MXene interfaces and intercalated species in more detail than is currently possible with conventional optical spectroscopies. Here, we combine ultra-broadband ellipsometry and transmission spectroscopy from the mid-infrared (IR) to the deep-ultraviolet (UV) to probe quantitatively the composition, structure, transport, and optical properties of spray-coated Ti3C2T x MXene thin films with varying material properties. We find film thickness heterogeneity and surface roughness in the low-nanometer range as well as depth-dependent conductivity properties, which we quantify with a graded Drude model. The optically determined sheet resistance is confirmed by four-point probe measurements. Furthermore, we employ density-functional-theory calculations to assign the observed absorption bands in the MXene dielectric function to various interband transitions from mixed MXene surface terminations. The prominent 1.48 eV (833 nm) spectral feature is found to be related to oxygen termination. Additional plasmonic effects are also suggested. Finally, we leverage the chemical sensitivity of state-of-the-art IR ellipsometry to separate the fingerprints of intercalated species within the MXene from the dominant Drude contributions, presenting for the first time a set of infrared optical constants of intercalated water. This work lays the foundation for optical metrology for interface engineering of MXene and other 2D materials.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Chemistry, Physical
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
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