Ingeniously enhanced ferromagnetism in chemically-reduced 2D Ti3C2TX MXene

Chemical reduction is a facile and cost-effective technique for the modulation of the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials. Herein, we demonstrate an enhancement of the magnetic behavior of Ti3C2TX MXene after its chemical reduction via L-ascorbic acid treatment. Small ferromagnetic loops have been observed below 50 K for Ti3C2TX prepared by hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching of Al layers from Ti3AlC2. Such a ferromagnetic ordering of spins was significantly enhanced via a chemical reduction of Ti3C2TX with L-ascorbic acid. Ferromagnetic hysteresis loops were observed for reduced Ti3C2TX (r-Ti3C2TX ) up to 150 K indicating a significant upshift of the paramagnetic to the ferromagnetic transition temperature, pushing towards room temperature. The enhancement of ferromagnetism and upshift of the ferromagnetic transition temperature could be attributed to the localized unpaired electron in Ti-3d orbital of the r-Ti3C2TX crystal and increase in the number of unsaturated Ti atoms upon L-ascorbic acid treatment. Chemical reduction via L-ascorbic acid treatment shows a promising pathway towards the modulation and enhancement of magnetism in various MXene materials for the development of 2D metallic soft ferromagnets and spintronic devices.

Automated summary

Chemical reduction is a simple and cost-effective technique for modulating and enhancing the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials. In this study, the magnetic behavior of Ti3C2TX MXene was enhanced by chemical reduction using L-ascorbic acid treatment. The ferromagnetic ordering of spins in Ti3C2TX was significantly enhanced, leading to the observation of ferromagnetic hysteresis loops up to 150 K after reduction. The enhancement of ferromagnetism and upshift of the ferromagnetic transition temperature can be attributed to the presence of localized unpaired electrons in the Ti-3d orbital and an increase in the number of unsaturated Ti atoms after L-ascorbic acid treatment. Chemical reduction via L-ascorbic acid treatment shows great potential for modulating and enhancing magnetism in various MXene materials, enabling the development of 2D metallic soft ferromagnets and spintronic devices.