Fabrication of MOF@MXene Composites via Surface Modification of MXene under Acidic Conditions

Abstract MXene is a novel two-dimensional material composed of fourth-period transition metals and carbon or nitrogen. With its high electrical conductivity, multilayered structure, and moderate dielectric constant, MXene has attracted attention as a next-generation electromagnetic wave absorber. Absorption-based shielding materials have been developed by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into MXene. However, achieving uniform shielding performance remains challenging due to the uneven distribution of MNPs on the MXene surface. To address this, a MIL-101 type metal-organic framework (MOF) was introduced onto Ti₃C₂Tx MXene to ensure uniform MNP distribution. Experiments were conducted to synthesize MOF@MXene composites with uniformly bonded MOFs. To mitigate aggregation issues in conventional MOF@MXene composites, the oxidation mechanism of MXene in an acidic environment was leveraged to produce an intermediate ligand-grafted MXene. MOF synthesis was then performed on the grafted ligand sites, yielding the final MOF@MXene composite. While some oxidation of MXene and unintended MOF crystal structures were observed, the composite was successfully fabricated with uniformly distributed MOF crystals on the MXene surface.