Near-room temperature ferromagnetic behavior of single-atom-thick 2D iron in nanolaminated ternary MAX phases

• M(n+)(1)AX(n) (MAX) phases nanolaminated ternary carbides or nitrides possess a unique crystal structure in which single-atom-thick "A" sublayers are interleaved by alternative stacking of a "Mn+1Xn" sublayer; these materials have been investigated as promising high-safety structural materials for industrial applications because of their laminated structure and metal and ceramic properties. However, limited of A-site elements in the definition of M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases, it is a huge challenge for designing nanolaminated ferromagnetic materials with single-atom-thick two-dimensional iron layers occupying the A layers in the M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases. Here, we report three new ternary magnetic M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases (Ta2FeC, Ti2FeN, and Nb2FeC) with A sublayers of single-atom-thick two-dimensional iron through an isomorphous replacement reaction of M(n+)(1)AX(n) precursors (Ta2AlC, Ti2AlN, and Nb2AlC) with a Lewis acid salts (FeCl2). All these M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases exhibit ferromagnetic behavior. The Curie temperatures of the Ta2FeC and Nb2FeC M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases are 281 and 291K, respectively, i.e., close to room temperature. The saturation magnetization of these ternary magnetic MAX phases is almost two orders of magnitude higher than V-2(Sn,Fe)C, whose A-site is partially substituted by Fe. Theoretical calculations on magnetic orderings of spin moments of Fe atoms in these nanolaminated magnetic M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases reveal that the magnetism can be mainly ascribed to an intralayer exchange interaction of the two-dimensional Fe atomic layers. Owing to the richness in composition of M(n+)(1)AX(n) phases, our work provides a large imaginary space for constructing functional single-atom-thick two-dimensional layers in materials using these nanolaminated templates.

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NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

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