MXenes, a relatively new class of two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides, carbonitrides, and nitrides, exhibit unique properties such as high electronic conductivity, a wide range of optical characteristics, hydrophilicity, and mechanical stability. Because of the high electronic conductivity, MXenes have shown promise in many applications, such as energy storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, antennas, and transparent coatings. 2D titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x , where T x represents surface terminations), the first discovered and most studied MXene, has the highest electronic conductivity exceeding 10 000 S cm −1 . There have been several efforts to alter the conductivity of MXenes, such as manipulation of the transition-metal layer and control of surface terminations. However, the impact of the C and N site composition on electronic transport has not been explored. In this study, the effects of synthesis methods on optoelectronic properties of 2D titanium carbonitride, Ti 3 CNT x , were systematically investigated. We show that Ti 3 CNT x , which hosts a mix of carbon and nitrogen atoms in the X layer, has lower electronic conductivity and a blue shift of the main absorption feature within the UV−visible spectrum, compared to Ti 3 C 2 T x . Moreover, intercalants such as water and tetraalkylammonium hydroxides decrease the electronic conductivity of MXene due to increased interflake resistance, leading to an increase in resistivity with decreasing temperature as observed in ensemble transport measurements. When the intercalants are removed, Ti 3 CNT x exhibits its intrinsic metallic behavior in good agreement with Hall measurements and transport properties measured on single-flake field-effect transistor devices. The dependence of conductivity of Ti 3 CNT x on the presence of intercalants opens wide opportunities for creating MXene-based materials with tunable electronic properties.

We dedicate this paper to Natchapol "Golf" Poonyayant, who died tragically at the age of 25 during the writing of this manuscript. Golf's interest in nanoconfined materials inspired this work, and he performed the experimental synthesis and much of the analysis. The world has lost a talented young man, and we've lost a dear friend.

No abstract

By using KOH as the chemical activating agent in the synthesis, the activated carbon derived from pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) was prepared. The structure, morphology, and the surface functional groups of the as-prepared activated carbon were investigated using x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior and performance of the as-synthesized activated carbon electrode were measured using the cyclic voltammetry and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in 1 M Na2SO4 electrolyte solution in three-electrode setup. The activated carbon electrode exhibited the specific capacitance of 131.3 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 with excellent cycling stability. The capacitance retention after 1000 cycles was about 97% of the initial capacitance at a scan rate of 30 mV s−1. Given these good electrochemical properties along with the high abundance of PALF, this activated carbon electrode has the potential to be one of the materials for future large-scale production of the electrochemical capacitors.

No abstract