The lattice stability and phonon response of Ti3C2Tx MXene at high pressure are important for understanding its mechanical and thermal properties fully. Here, we use in situ high hydrostatic pressure X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy to study the lattice deformation and phonon behavior of Ti3C2Tx MXene. XRD spectra indicate that no phase transformation occurs up to the pressure of 26.7 GPa. The elastic constant along a lattice parameter was calculated to be 378 GPa. In the Raman spectra obtained at high-pressure, the out-of-plane phonon modes (A1g at ~ 210, ~ 504, and ~ 711 cm−1) exhibit monotonic blueshifts with increasing pressure. The Grüneisen parameters of these three modes were calculated to be 1.08, 1.16, and 0.29, respectively. These results enrich the basic property data of Ti3C2Tx MXene and would benefit the further understanding of this novel material.

Visualising the distribution of structural defects and functional groups present on the surface of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene oxide challenges the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the most advanced analytical techniques. Here we demonstrate mapping of functional groups on a carboxyl-modified graphene oxide (GO–COOH) surface with a spatial resolution of ≈10 nm using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS). Furthermore, we extend the capability of TERS by measuring local electronic properties in situ, in addition to the surface topography and chemical composition. Our results reveal that the Fermi level at the GO–COOH surface decreases as the I_D/I_G ratio increases, correlating the local defect density with the Fermi level at nanometre length-scales. The in situ multi-parameter microscopy demonstrated in this work significantly improves the accuracy of nanoscale surface characterisation, eliminates measurement artefacts, and opens up the possibilities for characterising optoelectronic devices based on 2D materials under operational conditions.

New approach to TERS probe coating enables chemical imaging of liquid-immersed surfaces with nanoscale spatial resolution.