Researchers from Linköping University in Sweden used artificial intelligence to find long-forgotten two-dimensional MXene materials in old databases. The work was published in the journal Science on 29 October 2026.
A team led by Professor Johanna Rosen identified 33 already existing MXenes that the scientific community had not previously known about. These findings inspired the scientists to create 11 new compositions.
“We need to look both backward and forward to accelerate materials science. There is so much information in the literature that we are unaware of,” noted Johanna Rosen.
MXenes consist of several atomic layers of metal combined with carbon or nitrogen. Their enormous surface area relative to weight opens up broad possibilities for applications — from water purification and energy storage to telecommunications and biomedicine.
The scientists also developed a new synthesis method: the materials are created without external heating in just a few seconds. The process requires significantly fewer hazardous chemicals and less water compared with traditional approaches.
In addition, rare-earth metals can replace ordinary ones in the MXene structure, giving the materials magnetic properties. This expands their potential use in energy and data storage.
The project was unofficially called “Treasure Chest.” As Johanna Rosen put it, databases and literature are treasure troves — one merely needs to open the lid.
The first author of the article was Ali Saffar Shamshirgar. He emphasized that the discovery of new compositions allows researchers to explore even more possibilities for sustainable applications.
What else might be hiding in the archives of past decades?
According to the researchers, scaling up the production of MXenes will be the key to their widespread adoption in real technologies.
