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 hydrothermal-assisted 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.