The world of two-dimensional carbides and nitrides (MXenes)

A family of thin materials Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted interest because of the unusual properties that emerge in these confined structures. There is a growing family of 2D metal carbides and nitrides known as MXenes that contain an odd number of layers in which metals (M) sandwich carbon or nitrogen (X) layers. VahidMohammadi et al. reviewed the progress in synthesizing this growing library of materials. Mixed-metal combinations can be used, as well as a range of surface terminations, making it possible to tune the properties. However, there are still challenges in improving the synthesis methods and developing techniques that can be scaled up. Science , abf1581, this issue p. eabf1581