Project description
A cleaner, safer path for high-performance 2D materials
A new family of layered 2D materials is attracting increasing attention from researchers. MXenes are considered to have immense potential for applications ranging from high-capacity energy storage to flexible electronics. There is just one catch related to their industrial adoption, which is hindered by hazardous and energy-intensive manufacturing processes that rely on dangerous acids. The ERC-funded MXClean project is testing a new bottom-up synthesis solution in which MXenes are assembled directly from molecular precursors under moderate conditions, eliminating toxic by-products and reducing energy demands. This approach makes production safe and sustainable. Ultimately, MXClean will help bridge the gap between the lab and real-world industrial applications.
Objective
MXenes are a rapidly growing family of two-dimensional carbides and nitrides with unique properties, including high electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, hydrophilicity, and tunable surface chemistry. These features make them highly attractive for energy storage, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, catalysis, and flexible electronics. Yet their synthesis remains the main barrier to industrial adoption.
Conventional top-down routes based on hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching of MAX phases are hazardous, energy-intensive, and compositionally rigid. In parallel, several bottom-up strategies such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma-enhanced pulsed layer deposition (PEPLD), template methods, or direct synthesis have been explored. While safer, these methods face major drawbacks, including high energy requirements, poor structural control, low reproducibility, and limited scalability.
This ERC-PoC project will address this unmet need by developing a novel bottom-up synthesis route that bypasses MAX phases and overcomes the limitations of existing alternatives. Building on preliminary results from the ERC-AG DISCOVERY, our approach assembles MXenes directly from molecular precursors under moderate conditions, reducing energy demand, eliminating hazardous by-products, and enabling access to compositions that are otherwise difficult to obtain, such as nitride-based MXenes.
The project will demonstrate feasibility through two case studies: Ti₃C2 as a benchmark and Ti2N as a representative nitride MXene. By proving reproducibility, scalability to multi-gram batches, and industrial relevance, the project will create a unique opportunity to position MXenes as safer, more versatile, and industrially viable materials. Thanks to this breakthrough, MXenes could finally progress from research laboratories to real-world applications in high-value markets.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
You need to log in or register to use this function
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
-
HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
See all projects funded under this programme
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept Grants
See all projects funded under this funding scheme
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-POC
See all projects funded under this callHost institution
Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
46022 VALENCIA
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.