Michael Naguib is visiting HZB as a Humboldt Research Awardee
Michael Naguib from Tulane University, USA, is one of the discoverers of a new class of materials, MXenes. During his Humboldt Research Award in 2025, he is working with Tristan Petit at HZB. © Paula Burch-Celentano/ Tulane University
Professor Michael Naguib, from Tulane University in the USA, is one of the discoverers of a new class of 2D materials: MXenes are characterised by a puff pastry-like structure and have many applications, such as in the production of green hydrogen or as storage media for electrical energy. During his Humboldt Research Award in 2025, Professor Naguib is working with Prof Volker Presser at the Leibniz Institute for New Materials in Saarbrücken and with Dr Tristan Petit at HZB.
Michael Naguib, Ph.D., is an Ken & Ruth Arnold Early Career Professor in Science and Engineering at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a leading expert in the field of two-dimensional materials. His research group at Tulane University focuses on the synthesis and characterization of novel nanomaterials, including MXenes and Transition Metal Carbo-chalcogenides, for energy and environmental applications.
He completed his doctorate in 2014 at Drexel University, where he was involved in the discovery of a new class of materials. At that time, he tested MAX phases (layered ceramics) as electrode materials for lithium batteries. To create more space for the lithium ions, he used an acid and discovered that the “A” layers in the MAX phases had been selectively removed, transforming the remaining MX layers into a structure that, under a scanning electron microscope, resembled puff pastry: MXene.
To date, a wide range of MXenes have been synthesised. Their applications are also highly diverse: MXenes can be used as electrodes for energy storage devices, in catalysis and as sensors for medical applications. ‘I am delighted to deepen our collaboration with Tristan Petit and his team at HZB,’ says Naguib. ‘We will be discussing several fundamental questions regarding our novel materials and preparing a series of experiments to conduct at BESSY II to help us answering these questions.’
Invitation to the Seminar:
Monday, 23.06.2025 at 11 AM
Lecture hall, BESSY II, Albert-Einstein-Straße 15, 12489 Berlin
Prof. Dr. Michael Naguib:
“Tailoring 2D Materials from the Atomic to Nanoscale for Electrochemical Energy Applications”
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- MXene for energy storage: More versatile than expectedMXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual MXene flakes to explore these processes in detail. Using the in situ Scanning transmission X-ray microscope 'MYSTIIC' at BESSY II, the scientists mapped the chemical states of Titanium atoms on the MXene flake surfaces. The results revealed two distinct redox reactions, depending on the electrolyte. This lays the groundwork for understanding charge transfer processes at the nanoscale and provides a basis for future research aimed at optimising pseudocapacitive energy storage devices.
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Its members are Michael Hintermüller (Weierstrass Institute, WIAS), Noa K. Ha (German Centre for Integration and Migration Research, DeZIM), Volker Haucke (Leibniz Research Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, FMP), Uta Bielfeldt (German Rheumatism Research Centre Berlin, DRFZ) and Bernd Rech (HZB).