This project was divided into two parts. One part was the management, training,dissemination and exploitation and the second part was technical with the main objective of scalable synthesis of MXenes and their optoelectronic memory devices. With the travel and lab access restriction during the COVID-19 pandemic, the fellow had to adjust the project.
The management,the reporting and the communication with EC as well as the transferable skills was done on a day-by-day basis during the entire project duration. The training was received in the first months and from then on whenever necessary.
In the second technical part, the scalable synthesis of 2D Molybdenum Carbide(Mo2CTx) MXene nanosheets were synthesized and fabrication and optoelectrical electrical characterization of devices made of MXenes was performed. The scalable synthesis of 2D Mo2CTx nanosheets were achieved in two steps. First, Mo2GaC MAX phase was chemically etched by NaF and HCl mixture and in the second step these multilayer MXenes (etched particles) were delaminated in DMSO. The resulting 2DMXene nanosheets were used for further analysis and device fabrication.Several quality aspects of resulting 2D MXenes, such as control of layer number, size of nanosheets, grain size, uniformity, optical properties and defects (based on characterization of charge carrier mobility and other transport characteristics) were routinely characterized using techniques that range from electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, AFM), UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence and fabrication & testing of simple field effect devices. Optoelectronic memory devices– based on different 2D MXenes– were optimized for efficient photomemory applications at different wavelengths (e.g. UV and visible).
Parts 1 and 2 of the project were completed successfully both in terms of the development of the researcher’s personal skills and the contribution to the scientific community.
