Scientists from Linköping University in Sweden used artificial intelligence to re-examine old materials databases. As a result, they discovered 33 already-synthesized MXenes that the scientific community had not previously known about.
MXenes are a family of two-dimensional materials discovered in 2011. They consist of several atomic layers and have an enormous surface area relative to their mass. The researchers, together with colleagues from Estonia and Finland, used AI to search the literature and databases.
The findings inspired the team to create 11 more new MXenes. The project was unofficially named “Treasure Chest” — according to Professor Johanna Rosén, databases and literature are full of unused information.
An important result was a new synthesis method. The materials are now produced without external heating in just a few seconds, with fewer hazardous chemicals and less water. This makes production more sustainable and scalable.
In addition, rare-earth metals can be used instead of ordinary ones, giving MXenes magnetic properties. Such materials are especially promising for energy and data storage.
“MXenes can have a wide range of useful properties, many of which are related to sustainability. The discovery of new compositions allows us to explore even more possibilities for their application,” notes the first author of the paper, Ali Saffar Shamshirgar.
The results are published in the journal Science. How exactly will these “forgotten” materials affect real technologies in the coming years?
Johanna Rosén emphasizes that to accelerate materials science, one must look both backward and forward. Researchers sometimes reinvent what was already done decades ago.
