Viksit Bharat 2047 - VBCB 2025

Our SASPRO2 postdoc fellow Shalu Atri under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Olivier Monfort, PhD. has received the Young Scientist Award by Springer Nature at the VBCB-2025 conference, India (Viksit Bharat 2047: Reaching the Unreached Through Chemical and Biological Sciences). This conference is focused on the development of India based on pillars like Youth and Women. Shalu has presented her scientific results obtained within the frame of the PhotoMXene project through a talk “Hybrid MXene Materials: Unlocking New Frontiers in Environmental Remediation”. Below, you can find the abstract:

MXenes are two-dimensional materials composed of transition metal carbides and nitrides that have emerged as highly promising candidates for various applications due to their exceptional properties. We have demonstrated that titanium-based MXenes like Ti2CTx and Ti3C2Tx are particularly effective in environmental remediation, demonstrating superior adsorption capabilities for hazardous radionuclides. In our recent studies, we have also highlighted the innovative use of MXenes in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for water treatment, where they serve as precursors for metal oxides. This unique approach facilitates the degradation of organic pollutants into harmless byproducts. Notably, research on MXene-Fe3O4 composites has shown enhanced removal efficiencies for radionuclides such as Ba and Cs, attributed to increased interlayer spacing. The development of other spinel oxides decorated MXenes has proven itheir efficiency in degrading pharmaceutical contaminants like caffeine and sulfamethoxazole. In summary, the multifunctional nature of MXenes position them at the forefront of materials science, with significant potential for integration into energy storage systems and wastewater treatment technologies.