Scalable Synthesis of Novel MXENEs for Electromagnetic Applications

The purpose of this Phase I project is to synthesize novel MXene materials that exhibit enhanced electromagnetic properties, particularly enhanced magnetic properties. Upon successful development of these synthetic procedures, Drexel, in collaboration with DeLUX Engineering, will scale-up the synthesis of the MXenes so that 2g of each material may be provided at the conclusion of Phase I, and 200g of each material will be provided at the conclusion of Phase II. All powders shall be fully characterized, in terms of size, crystal form, chemical composition, refractive index, etc. Concurrently, the newly developed MXene powders shall be integrated into a MXene-based ink formulation. These inks will subsequently be used to 3D print microstrip transmission lines, as a case study to characterize the electromagnetic properties of the MXene-based inks. Specifically, an Agilent 8770ES Vector Network Analyzer will be used to measure the return loss which will then be compared to another microstrip transmission line using developed silver-based inks. Permittivity and permeability of the inks shall also be determined.