News Excerpt:

Researchers from Drexel University and the University of British Columbia are trying to lighten the load by creating and testing a waveguide made from 3D-printed polymers coated with a conductive nanomaterial called MXene.

Background:

• One of the most important components of satellites that enable telecommunication is the waveguide, which is a metal tube for guiding radio waves. 
• It is also one of the heaviest payloads satellites carry into orbit. 
• As with all space technology, reducing weight means reducing the amount of expensive and greenhouse gas-producing fuel it takes to launch a rocket or increasing the number of devices carried by the same rocket to space.

About MXene material:

• MXene is an inorganic compound made up of atomically thin layers of transition metal carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides.
• It shares the formula Mn + 1Xn (n = 1–3), where M denotes the initial transition metal carbides (Ti, Nb, Zr, Ta, Hf, V, Sc, Cr, and Mo) and X denotes carbon or nitrogen.
• MXene is arranged in a structure in which M atoms are densely packed and X atoms are arranged in a system that fills the middle part of the regular octahedron.
• MXene materials provide one of the thinnest possible coatings.
• Their flakes have a few atoms thickness that can create a conductive surface, so it has great potential in using MXenes to treat additive manufactured components made of polymers with complex shapes.
• It is highly conductive, functions as an electromagnetic shield, and can be produced simply by dipping the waveguide in MXenes dispersed in water.
• As per researchers, MXene coating bonded exceptionally well to the 3D-printed nylon waveguides due to compatibility between their chemical structures. 
• The MXene-coated nylon waveguides weigh about eight times less than the standard aluminium ones currently being used.
• The waveguides are typically made from metals like silver, brass, and copper. In satellites, aluminium is the lighter-weight choice.
• While testing, MXene waveguides performed nearly as well as their aluminium counterparts, showing an 81% efficiency in guiding electromagnetic waves between two terminals after just one cycle of dip coating, just a 2.3% drop off from the performance of aluminium. 

MXene Biomedical Applications:

• Due to their large surface area, the materials have the potential to absorb carbon dioxide molecules from the atmosphere, which could help reduce the harmful effects of climate change by safely sequestering carbon dioxide.
• MXene was first used for energy conversion and storage in electrochemical capacitors, batteries , and energy collection devices. 
• It has also been applied to catalysts, sensors, electromagnetic interference, and biopharmaceuticals. 
• Some MXenes are used in photothermal therapy (PTT) and posterior-anterior (PA) imaging of the chest because of their strong light absorption and high light conversion in the near-infrared (NIR) areas. 
• Because various atoms of the transition metals of MXene have high atomic numbers (Ta and W), they exhibit excellent electron conductivity and magnetism. 
• Thus, MXene is also used in computed tomography (CT) imaging and as a contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), based on paramagnetic transition metal components (Cr and V). 
• A wide range of applications of MXenes have been realized through their properties. It is hydrophilic owing to the functional groups such as –F, –OH, and –O on the surface. 
• MXene has a large surface area and several functional groups on its surface, therefore, making it easy to be functionalized by loading drugs, hydrophilic biomolecules, and functional nanoparticles. 
• MXene has applicability in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Significance of MXene-coated components:

• MXene-coated components could be a viable lightweight replacement for waveguides used in space.
• Coatings could also be optimized for transmissions of varying frequencies and applied to a variety of additive-manufactured or injection-moulded polymer components, providing a lightweight and low-cost alternative to metals in a number of terrestrial applications as well.

What is Waveguide?

• Waveguides function as pipelines for microwaves. 
• They direct the waves to receivers while preserving the power of the signal. 
• In a microwave oven, waveguides ensure the heating of the food. 
• On a satellite, they transfer high-quality signals between different objects within and between satellites and between satellites and Earth.
• Waveguides are designed in various shapes to fit into confined spaces. 
• They can range from simple, straight channels to structures as complex as a labyrinth.

Conclusion:

The MXene-coated waveguides still need to undergo extensive testing and be certified for space use before they can be used on satellites. But this finding could be an important step toward the next generation of space technology.