Lecture by Yury Gogotsi
Under the central theme Leading voices for a caring society, UHasselt will honor five distinguished scientists in 2026 whose work contributes to building a more caring and inclusive world. Among the honorary doctorate recipients is Prof. dr. Yury Gogotsi, internationally renowned for his pioneering work in nanomaterials and energy storage. As his research strongly aligns with the work carried out within IUMAT, we are very pleased to invite him for a lecture on Wednesday May 27th.
Programme
3 - 4 PM: lecture on "Building Blocks for Technology of the Future - MXenes and beyond"
4 - 5 PM: reception
About Yury Gogotsi
Prof. Dr. Yury Gogotsi is a Distinguished University Professor and Charles T. and Ruth M. Bach Endowed Chair at Drexel University (USA), and founding director of the A.J. Drexel Nanomaterials Institute. He is a globally recognized pioneer in materials science and the discoverer of “MXenes,” a new family of two-dimensional materials that has opened up new possibilities in research on areas including energy storage, sensors, electronics, and biomedical applications.
About the lecture
Lecture organized on the occasion of Yury Gogotsis honorary doctorate at Hasselt University, in recognition of his pioneering research in nanomaterials and energy storage which strongly aligns with the work carried out within IUMAT.
New materials will shape our future by enabling technologies in healthcare, robotics, quantum electronics, and space that are impossible today. Nanomaterials, especially 2D materials, serve as building blocks that can be assembled into micro- and macroscopic structures and devices. By combining nanosheets with different compositions, one can achieve unique combinations of properties not available in current materials. With guidance from machine learning and other AI tools, we should be able to program the properties and functions of those assembled nanomaterials, ushering in the new materials age. 2D carbides, nitrides, and related structures known as MXenes are the most diverse family of inorganic materials. They complement graphene, transition-metal dichalcogenides, and other 2D materials by offering high electrical conductivity, electrochemically active surfaces, and extreme strength.
Since the discovery of Ti 3 C 2 T x in 2011, more than 50 stoichiometric MX compositions and dozens of solid solutions have been reported. The number of possible compositions is infinite when considering high-entropy compositions, in- and out-of-plane ordered MXenes, and combinations of surface terminations. MXenes can be synthesized directly from metal halides and carbon sources or by selectively etching layered ceramics in aqueous etchants, molten salts, or halogen-containing gases. MXenes have ushered in an era of computationally driven atomistic design of 2D materials, but we are just beginning our journey into the world of atomistically designed materials.
The properties of MXenes are tunable by design and can be modulated during use. For example, chemically tunable superconductivity, work function, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding effectiveness, and electrical and optical properties have been demonstrated.
In this lecture Prof. dr. Gogotsi will discuss how structure and composition influence MXene properties. He will also outline prospects for applications of MXenes and their assemblies with other nanomaterials in energy harvesting and storage, sensing, electronics, healthcare, thermal management, communication, and space exploration.
Register here