Boosting the Yield of MXene 2D Sheets via a Facile Hydrothermal-Assisted Intercalation

Abstract

Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) exhibits attractive properties in different applications. However, traditional synthesis leads to unsatisfactory yield of two-dimensional (2D) Ti 3 C 2 T x , e.g., lower than 20%, which stems from the strong interactions of potential Ti−Ti bonds and residual Ti−Al bonds between the adjacent Ti 3 C 2 layers, hindering the effective intercalation and delamination. Herein, we propose a facile hydrothermalassisted intercalation (HAI) strategy to boost the yield of 2D sheets, achieving a record high value of 74%. This HAI assists the diffusion and intercalation of reagent effectively, promoting the subsequent delamination; meanwhile, an antioxidant is applied to protect these Ti 3 C 2 T x from oxidation during the HAI process. Therefore, massive Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets can be easily synthesized. Thanks to the synergistic effect of high conductivity and substantial terminated functionalities, these Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets show promising application in supercapacitor, providing a high capacitance of 482 F g −1 . Besides, the ultrafast carrier dynamics results of Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets clearly imply the promising application in photocatalysis due to the relatively long bleaching relaxation time. Our work not only paves the way for the mass production of Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets but also provides insights into their electronic and optical properties. KEYWORDS: hydrothermal-assisted intercalation (HAI), Ti 3 C 2 T x , MXene, high yield, facile

A Facile, High‐Yield, and Freeze‐and‐Thaw‐Assisted Approach to Fabricate MXene with Plentiful Wrinkles and Its Application in On‐Chip Micro‐Supercapacitors

“…The calculated yield was 81.4%. Figure c summarizes several previously reported preparation methods with their yield, flake size, and thickness . There are many factors to influence the yield like the etch process, intercalation agent, and the conditions of sonication and centrifugation.…”

“…However, the yield of MXene via this method is still dissatisfactory (<10%), even worse than the two‐step approach. Lately, an efficient way based on hydrothermal‐assisted intercalation was proposed to boost the yield of MXene, achieving a high value of 74% . With the help of hydrothermal treatment, the intercalation agents can effectively enter the interlayer and weaken the interlayer interaction.…”

Chemical Functionalisation of 2D Materials by Batch and Continuous Hydrothermal Flow Synthesis

“…This intercalation was also assisted with an antioxidant to protect the surface of MXene from oxidising into TiO 2 nanoparticles. The result gave a high yield of 74 % and Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets with a high capacitance of 482 F g −1 . This provides a direction for mass production of Ti 3 C 2 T x 2D sheets and awareness into their optical and electronic properties.…”

“…This was explored by Han et al. (2019) through hydrothermally assisted intercalation (HAI) of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) between MXene layers to aid its separation into 2D sheets (Figure ) . This intercalation was also assisted with an antioxidant to protect the surface of MXene from oxidising into TiO 2 nanoparticles.…”

In Situ Growth of MAPbBr3 Nanocrystals on Few‐Layer MXene Nanosheets with Efficient Energy Transfer

“…Few‐layer Ti 3 C 2 T x nanosheets were prepared based on our previously reported method (see the Experimental Section for details). [ 28 ] Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) results reveal that the as‐synthesized Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene nanosheets are 2D nanosheets with a thickness around 3–5 nm (see Figures S1 and S2, Supporting Information). The MAPbBr 3 /Ti 3 C 2 T x heterostructures were synthesized through a modified ligand‐assisted reprecipitation (LARP) method at room temperature in an air atmosphere as schematically illustrated in Figure .…”