Thank you to our collaborators for the amazing joint work recently published in Graphene and 2D Nanomaterials about MXene–silk fibroin composite films aiming to develop materials with tunable electronic and thermal properties!
Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene–silk fibroin composite films: engineering DC conductivity and properties in the THz range
Andrew Fitzgerald1, Laura Londoño Fandiño1, Kateryna Kushnir Friedman1, Tom Kohen1, Nikoloz Gegechkori1, John Obayemi2, Sepideh Khanmohammadi1, Alireza Nikbakht2, Michael Zajac1, Vladimir Gayduchkov1, Yehia Khalifa3, Joshua Uzarski4, Ivan Baginskiy5, Veronika Zahorodna5,Oleksiy Gogotsi5,6, Ronald L. Grimm3, Jeannine M. Coburn2 & Lyubov V. Titova1
1 Department of Physics, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 50 Prescott Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
2 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 60 Prescott Street, Rm 4012, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
3 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
4 US Army DEVCOM Soldier Center, Natick, MA, USA
5 Y-Carbon LLC (Carbon-Ukraine), Kiev, Ukraine
6 MXene Nano Tech LLC, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Abstract
MXenes, a family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides with high conductivity and stability, are promising materials for applications such as flexible and wearable electronics or electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. In this study, we explore MXene-silk composites using THz time-domain spectroscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy. We focus on Ti3C2Tx MXenes—silk fibroin films, aiming to develop materials with tunable electronic and thermal properties. While the composite films remain electrically conductive for films prepared from aqueous solutions with as much as 2 mg silk per mg of MXene, DC conductivity in such films decreases by over four orders of magnitude as compared to MXene-only films. At the same time, high THz range AC conductivity and EMI shielding efficiency in the THz range are largely preserved, as they are determined predominantly by the intra-flake electron transport and are less impacted by the increased inter-flake distances. Using time-resolved THz spectroscopy, we also find that while optical excitation of both pure MXene films and MXene-silk composite films results in transiently enhanced THz transmission due to thermal suppression of conductivity, silk encapsulation accelerates thermal relaxation. Thus, the DC conductivity and thermal properties of MXene-silk composites can be effectively tuned by adjusting the silk fibroin content, largely without impacting their EMI shielding performance in the THz range. This tunability opens a pathway to designing biocompatible electronic materials with customizable properties tailored to specific applications.
Keywords: Silk fibroin (silk), Ti3C2Tx MXenes, Conductive, EMI shielding, Photothermal
Reference: Fitzgerald, A., Londoño Fandiño, L., Kushnir Friedman, K. et al. Ti3C2Tx MXene: silk fibroin composite films—engineering DC conductivity and properties in the THz range. Graphene and 2D mater (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41127-025-00088-y
Read more publications on MXenes:
Congratulations to all collaborators with this interesting joint work! MXenes are among the most diverse and prominent 2D materials. They are being explored in almost every field of science and technology, including biomedicine. Despite their proven biocompatibility and low cytotoxicity, their genotoxicity has not been addressed, so we investigated whether MXenes interfere with DNA integrity in cultured cells and examined the fragmentation of their chromosomal DNA by a DNA comet assay. Read more...
Highlights
We are excited to share that our Carbon-Ukraine (Y-Carbon LLC) company participated in the I2DM Summit and Expo 2025 at Khalifa University in Abu-Dhabi! Huge thanks to Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D) for hosting such a high-level event.It was an incredible opportunity to meet brilliant researchers and innovators working on the next generation of 2D materials. The insights and energy from the summit will definitely drive new ideas in our own development.
Carbon-Ukraine team had the unique opportunity to visit XPANCEO - a Dubai-based deep tech startup company that is developing the first smart contact lenses with AR vision and health monitoring features, working on truly cutting-edge developments.
Our Carbon-Ukraine team (Y-Carbon LLC) are thrilled to start a new RIC2D project MX-Innovation in collaboration with Drexel University Yury Gogotsi and Khalifa University! Amazing lab tours to project collaborators from Khalifa University, great discussions, strong networking, and a wonderful platform for future collaboration.
MXenes potential applications include sensors, wound healing materials, and drug delivery systems. A recent study explored how different synthesis methods affect the safety and performance of MXenes. By comparing etching conditions and intercalation strategies, researchers discovered that fine-tuning the surface chemistry of MXenes plays a crucial role in improving biocompatibility. These results provide practical guidelines for developing safer MXenes and bring the field one step closer to real biomedical applications.
An excellent review highlighting how MXene-based sensors can help tackle one of today’s pressing environmental challenges — heavy metal contamination. Excited to see such impactful work moving the field of environmental monitoring and sensor technology forward!
Carbon-Ukraine team was truly delighted to take part in the kickoff meeting of the ATHENA Project (Advanced Digital Engineering Methods to Design MXene-based Nanocomposites for Electro-Magnetic Interference Shielding in Space), supported by NATO through the Science for Peace and Security Programme.
Exellent news, our joint patent application with Drexel University on highly porous MAX phase precursor for MXene synthesis published. Congratulations and thanks to all team involved!
Our team was very delighted to take part in International Symposium "The MXene Frontier: Transformative Nanomaterials Shaping the Future" – the largest MXene event in Europe this year! 
Last Call! Have you submitted your abstract for IEEE NAP-2025 yet? Join us at the International Symposium on "The MXene Frontier: Transformative Nanomaterials Shaping the Future" – the largest MXene-focused conference in Europe this year! Final Submission Deadline: May 15, 2025. Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to showcase your research and engage with world leaders in the MXene field!
We are excited to announce the publication of latest review article on MXenes in Healthcare. This comprehensive review explores the groundbreaking role of MXenes—an emerging class of 2D materials—in revolutionizing the fields of medical diagnostics and therapeutics. Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4NR04853A.
Congratulations and thank you to our collaborators from TU Wien and CEST for very interesting work and making it published! In this work, an upscalable electrochemical MXene synthesis is presented. Yields of up to 60% electrochemical MXene (EC-MXene) with no byproducts from a single exfoliation cycle are achieved.