Nanocomposites containing 2D materials have attracted much attention due to their potential for enhancing electrical, magnetic, optical, mechanical, and thermal properties. However, it has been a challenge to integrate 2D materials into ceramic matrices due to interdiffusion and chemical reactions at high temperatures. A recently reported sintering technique, the cold sintering process (CSP), which densifies ceramics with the assistance of transient aqueous solutions, provides a means to circumvent the aforementioned problems. The efficacious co-sintering of Ti3 C2 Tx (MXene), a 2D transition carbide, with ZnO, an oxide matrix, is reported. Using CSP, the ZnO-Ti3 C2 Tx nanocomposites can be sintered to 92-98% of the theoretical density at 300 °C, while avoiding oxidation or interdiffusion and showing homogeneous distribution of the 2D materials along the ZnO grain boundaries. The electrical conductivity is improved by 1-2 orders of magnitude due to the addition of up to 5 wt% MXene. The hardness and elastic modulus show an increase of 40-50% with 0.5 wt% MXene, and over 150% with 5 wt% of MXene. The successful densification of ZnO-MXene nanocomposite demonstrates that the cold sintering of ceramics with 2D materials is a promising processing route for designing new nanocomposites with a diverse range of applications.
Keywords: 2D; MXene; ZnO; low temperature sintering; nanocomposite; thermoelectric.
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