Structural and compositional properties Ta₄C₃Tₓ MXene

Tantalum-based MXenes, such as Ta₄C₃Tₓ, exhibit high electrical conductivity and strong optical nonlinearities, making them well-suited for energy storage, catalysis, optoelectronic, and photonic applications. Tantalum carbide (Ta₄C₃Tₓ) is expected to possess high structural stability. However, the enhanced stability of Ta-based MAX phases poses challenges in the etching process, making it difficult to determine the optimal parameters for MXene synthesis. This study focuses on adjusting synthesis parameters to develop an optimized process for producing Ta₄C₃Tₓ MXenes. Structural and compositional properties were investigated using XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy, TGA, and EDS analyses. XRD plays a key role in evaluating a material’s structural integrity. By varying parameters such as etching duration and HF quantity, Ta₄C₃Tₓ was successfully synthesized. Increasing HF quantity while reducing etching time led to improved synthesis outcomes, ensuring complete removal of aluminum as evidenced by the disappearance of the characteristic Al peak around 7°, confirming successful etching. Selective etching of A-site atoms (Al) from the MAX phase generates MXenes terminated with -O, -OH, and/or -F functional groups. These surface terminations influence interlayer spacing observed in XRD patterns and strongly affect the structure, stability, and electronic and optical properties of the resulting material.