Evidence of Surface-Mediated Carrier-Phonon Scattering in MXene

In a two-dimensional (2D) metallic nanostructure, when a sample's thickness is shorter than a carrier mean free path, the ultrathin thickness may influence carrier and energy transport, owing to surface scattering. However, to date, for metallic 2D transition-metal carbides (MXenes), experiments and calculations related to surface scattering have not been performed. The contribution of ultrathin structures to carrier surface scattering in MXene is yet to be explored. Herein, to reveal this effect, we design various models, including metal/MXene, dielectric/MXene, and bulk structure, and analyze their carrier dynamics via ultrafast spectroscopy. The results related to carrier dynamics indicate that the influence of the dielectric/MXene interface and the temperature is negligible. In contrast, the carrier dynamic lifetimes are prolonged owing to weakened surface scattering in metal/MXene, which is supported by ab initio calculations. These results suggest that the carrier-phonon scattering is dominated by surface scattering. These findings can help guide effective energy transport and enhance energy conversion and catalysis.