Layered ternary M_n+1AX_n phases and their 2D derivative MXene: an overview from a thin-film perspective

Inherently and artificially layered materials are commonly investigated both for fundamental scientific purposes and for technological application. When a layered material is thinned or delaminated to its physical limits, a two-dimensional (2D) material is formed and exhibits novel properties compared to its bulk parent phase. The complex layered phases known as 'MAX phases' (where M  =  early transition metal, A  =  A-group element, e.g. Al or Si, and X  =  C or N) are an exciting model system for materials design and the understanding of process-structure-property relationships. When the A layers are selectively etched from the MAX phases, a new type of 2D material is formed, named MXene to emphasize the relation to the MAX phases and the parallel with graphene. Since their discovery in 2011, MXenes have rapidly become established as a novel class of 2D materials with remarkable possibilities for composition variations and property tuning. This article gives a brief overview of MAX phases and MXene from a thin-film perspective, reviewing theory, characterization by electron microscopy, properties and how these are affected by the change in dimensionality, and outstanding challenges. (topical review)