Aluminium carbonitride-based nanolaminates - a route to new materials

Nanolaminates are materials where the crystal structure can be described as alternating layers of different compositions, stacked on top of each other. Examples include different oxides, borides and carbides etc. They often exhibit interesting chemical and physical properties with a potential use in many applications.

An intriguing possibility is to use nanolaminates as precursors for new 2D-materials.

By selective chemical etching, it is possible to exfoliate one layer leaving unetched 2D-layers.In this project, we will explore a nearly forgotten group of nanolaminates with the formula Al4+nC3Nn based on AlN layers separated by aluminium carbide layers. Since 1963 only a handful of papers have been published on this group of compounds.

No processes for the synthesis of bulk samples or thin films have yet been published and their properties are more or less unknown.

However, based on preliminary results from a proof-of-concept study in our laboratory, we are convinced that this group of nanolaminates is a hidden gem from a materials science point of view with many potential applications also as 2D-material.

In the project we will:-develop processes to synthesize well controlled bulk materials and thin films of these materials,-produce 2D-AlN by chemical exfoliation,-combine experiments and first principle calculations to study stability and structure of the nanolaminates and exfoliated 2D-materials and the correlation between structure and properties of these materials.