MXenes are thin, layered materials made from metals and carbon or nitrogen. Researchers used machine-learning tools to search materials databases and scientific papers for compounds that could fit the MXene structure.
The search identified 33 compounds that had been made in earlier experiments but not recognized as MXenes. Guided by the results, the team synthesized 11 previously unexplored rare-earth-based MXenes.
The researchers also report a rapid, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis process that does not require sustained external heating. Computer modeling suggests some of the materials may have magnetic or semiconducting properties, but their possible uses remain a subject for future research.
