New 2D material called MXenes pioneers a path to greener fuel and fertilizer, study shows

• Researchers are developing a revolutionary class of ultra-thin materials called MXenes to convert atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, a vital fertilizer and potential green fuel.
• The key innovation involves manipulating the “lattice nitrogen,” nitrogen atoms integrated into the MXene’s structure,to control its efficiency as a catalyst for this reaction.
• This approach challenges traditional catalyst design by demonstrating that a material’s effectiveness is not solely determined by its metal content but by its precise atomic-level structure.
• The team used a combination of experimental techniques, specifically Raman spectroscopy, and computational modeling to directly observe and understand the molecular interactions on the MXene surfaces.
• The ultimate goal of this research is to gain an atomistic-level understanding of materials to enable the sustainable production of essential chemicals directly from earth-abundant resources like air.

In a breakthrough that sounds like science fiction, researchers are charting a course to turn the very air we breathe into the building blocks of modern civilization. A revolutionary class of ultra-thin materials, known as MXenes, is being engineered to pull off this atomic-level alchemy, promising a cleaner, more sustainable future for producing ammonia, a vital ingredient in fertilizer and a potential green fuel.

The research, detailed in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, focuses on the unique properties of these two-dimensional inorganic compounds. Unlike traditional methods that rely on expensive and often inefficient catalysts, MXenes can be precisely tuned at the atomic level to optimize their performance.

“We aim to expand our understanding of how materials function as catalysts under electrocatalytic conditions,” said Dr. Abdoulaye Djire, a lead researcher on the project. “Ultimately, this knowledge may help us identify the key components needed to produce chemicals and fuels from earth-abundant resources.”

Scientists are opening a new chapter in green chemistry

The key lies in manipulating the material’s lattice nitrogen, the nitrogen atoms integrated into its structure. By adjusting how these atoms react, scientists can control the material’s vibrational properties, which directly influence its efficiency in catalyzing the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia. This tunability makes MXenes a powerful and versatile alternative.

“MXenes are the ideal candidates as transition metal-based alternative materials. They have promising potential due to their many desirable qualities,” explained Ray Yoo, a Ph.D. candidate involved in the study. “Nitride MXenes play an important role in electrocatalysis, as shown through their improvement in performance compared to the widely studied carbide counterparts.”

The team combined experimental techniques like Raman spectroscopy with advanced computational modeling to peer into the molecular interactions on the MXene surfaces.

“Raman spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool that uses the scattering of light to identify and analyze the molecular composition of substances, providing a unique ‘fingerprint’ that can reveal the presence and concentration of various compounds, making it invaluable for both scientific research and practical applications,” BrightU.AI‘s Enoch said.

This powerful approach allowed the team to observe the process directly. “I feel that one of the most important parts of this research is the ability of Raman spectroscopy to reveal the lattice nitrogen reactivity,” Yoo noted. “This reshapes the understanding of the electrocatalytic system involving MXenes.”

This work challenges long-held beliefs in catalyst design, moving beyond the idea that a catalyst’s effectiveness is determined solely by its metal content. As Dr. Djire states, the ultimate goal is profound: to gain an atomistic-level understanding of the role played by the atoms that constitute a material’s structure.

By mastering matter at this fundamental scale, scientists are opening a new chapter in green chemistry, where essential chemicals for food and energy could one day be synthesized directly from the air.

Watch this video to learn more about MXenes.

This video is from the Nonvaxer420 channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

Pubs.ACS.org

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com