My group is routed in solid state and materials chemistry but draws inspiration from research challenges in the context of polymers/advanced manufacturing, physics as well as energy and ceramics technologies. Carbides and nitrides are a fantastic platform to develop sustainable and innovative synthesis strategies as well as explore their physicochemical and functional properties. Within that space, we focus on layered solids and two-dimensional materials that belong to the large – and growing – families of MAX phases and MXenes. MAX phases occupy a unique position at the intersection of ceramics and metals, exhibiting a combination of structural robustness, electrical conductivity, and chemical tunability. Their 2D offspring, the MXenes, further introduce dimensionality as an additional materials parameter that enables intriguing functionalities in the realm of energy, electronics and life sciences. In this talk, I will highlight how innovative synthesis strategies, ranging from non-conventional sol-gel and microwave-assisted routes to chemical etching processes, unlock access to new materials with variable chemical composition, morphology, and surface chemistry. We will explore how subtle variations in synthesis conditions directly influence the materials’ characteristics, and how these features govern key physical properties including electronic transport, magnetic behavior, and interfacial functionality. By linking synthesis principles with materials insights, this talk will showcase how advanced solid-state chemistry enables control over structure–property relationships in layered and 2D materials, paving the way for next-generation functional materials with applications in energy, sensing, and beyond. Short Bio: Christina Birkel is an Associate Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University (ASU) and holds a joint professorship position in the Institute of Materials Science at the Technische Universität (TU) Darmstadt. In 2024, she was appointed Navrotsky Professor of Materials Research at ASU. Prior to her independent career, she was a Junior Research group leader at TU Darmstadt (Habilitation in 2018), a Postdoctoral Researcher (group of Prof. Galen Stucky) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (Feodor Lynen Research Stipend, Alexander-von-Humboldt Foundation) and completed her PhD thesis (group of Prof. Wolfgang Tremel) at the Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz holding a stipend of the Graduate School of Excellence (2010). Her group focuses on the synthesis and structural science of new types of layered solids and two-dimensional materials with a strong focus on carbides and (carbo)nitrides (MAX phases and MXenes), as well as the investigation of their properties including transport (electronic, magnetic), high-temperature and electrochemical behavior.