Tailoring Ti₃C₂T_x MXene Flake Sizes for Modified Electrochemical Performance: A Top-down Approach

Title:Tailoring Ti₃C₂T_x MXene Flake Sizes for Modified Electrochemical Performance: A Top-down Approach

Volume: 1

Author(s): Yuchao Fan, Xu Mei, Li Ye*, Qingyong Tian, Renqi Zhang, Yingjiu Zhang and Xinjian Li

Affiliation:

• School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

Keywords: Mxene, Ti₃C₂T_x, supercapacitors, size, large-scale, ball milling, gravimetric capacitance, hydrophilic surface.

Abstract:

Introduction: Two-dimensional (2D) materials, such as MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x), have garnered extensive attention in recent years due to their exceptional performance across various domains. The flake size of Ti₃C₂T_x notably influences its specific surface area, a pivotal factor in interfacial interactions within electrochemistry.

Method: Presently, modifying the flake size of bulk Ti₃C₂T_x typically involves complex and costly processes, like ultrasonic treatment and isolation. Leveraging the specific preparation principle of MXenes, which involves etching the A layers in precursor MAX phases, a topdown strategy for producing Ti₃C₂T_x flakes of desired sizes, has been proposed in this work. In this approach, precursor Ti3AlC2 particles undergo ball-milling to adjust their size.

Result: Through this innovative strategy, dispersions of Ti₃C₂T_x flakes with varying average lateral sizes are generated, enabling an investigation into the impact of lateral size on the electrochemical properties of Ti₃C₂T_x flakes. By controlling the ball milling time for Ti₃AlC₂ powders, the resulting average sizes of Ti₃C₂T_x (0, 2, 4) are 6.34 μm, 2.16 μm, and 0.96 μm, respectively. Particularly, the Ti₃C₂T_x (2) electrode, composed of 2.16 μm sheets, demonstrates remarkable performance metrics. It exhibits a high areal capacitance of 845.0 mF/cm² at a scan rate of 5 mV/s, along with a gravimetric capacitance of 244.0 F/g at a current density of 1 A/g.

Conclusion: This study presents a facile method to enable mass production of Ti₃C₂T_x with sheets of varying sizes, addressing both small and large dimensions.

Cite this article as:

Fan Yuchao, Mei Xu, Ye Li*, Tian Qingyong, Zhang Renqi, Zhang Yingjiu and Li Xinjian, Tailoring Ti₃C₂T_x MXene Flake Sizes for Modified Electrochemical Performance: A Top-down Approach, Current Physics 2024; 1 : e250124226106 . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0127723348268837231206095532