Abstract

MXenes, a rapidly emerging class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have attracted considerable attention owing to their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. However, the inherent thinness of their atomic structure and the reactivity of their functional groups render MXenes susceptible to environmental degradation, whereby the lattice integrity is compromised and desirable material functionalities are dimin- ished. In this work, ex situ electron microscopy characterisation is performed on Ti3C2Cl2 MXene specimens subjected to controlled gas environments — nitrogen gas (N2) and air — at annealing temperatures of 200°C and 600°C, with the objective of elucidating the mech- anisms and extent of thermally and chemically induced structural degradation. The results demonstrate that Ti3C2Cl2 MXene retains structural integrity at 200°C under both gas en- vironments, while substantial degradation is observed at 600°C irrespective of the purge gas employed. Degradation at the elevated temperature is manifested by absorption of oxygen atoms on surface, stripping of Chlorine atoms, and formation of secondary phases, as evi- denced by bright-field TEM imaging, selected-area electron diffraction, and energy disperson spectroscopy. Complementary Raman spectroscopy reveals the emergence of new spectral features in the range of 100–150 cm-1, consistent with the characteristic signature of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles, corroborating the electron microscopy observations.

Committee Chair

Francisco Lagunas Vargas

Committee Members

Srikanth Singamaneni Patricia Weisensee

Degree

Master of Engineering (ME)

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Spring 5-6-2026

Language

English (en)

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