Sn⁴⁺ Ion Decorated Highly Conductive Ti₃C₂ MXene: Promising Lithium-Ion Anodes with Enhanced Volumetric Capacity and Cyclic Performance

Abstract

Two-dimensional transition metal carbide materials called MXenes show potential application for energy storage due to their remarkable electrical conductivity and low Li(+) diffusion barrier. However, the lower capacity of MXene anodes limits their further application in lithium-ion batteries. Herein, with inspiration from the unique metal ion uptake behavior of highly conductive Ti3C2 MXene, we overcome this impediment by fabricating Sn(4+) ion decorated Ti3C2 nanocomposites (PVP-Sn(IV)@Ti3C2) via a facile polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted liquid-phase immersion process. An amorphous Sn(IV) nanocomplex, about 6-7 nm in lateral size, has been homogeneously anchored on the surface of alk-Ti3C2 matrix by ion-exchange and electrostatic interactions. In addition, XRD and TEM results demonstrate the successful insertion of Sn(4+) into the interlamination of an alkalization-intercalated Ti3C2 (alk-Ti3C2) matrix. Due to the possible "pillar effect" of Sn between layers of alk-Ti3C2 and the synergistic effect between the alk-Ti3C2 matrix and Sn, the nanocomposites exhibit a superior reversible volumetric capacity of 1375 mAh cm(-3) (635 mAh g(-1)) at 216.5 mA cm(-3) (100 mA g(-1)), which is significantly higher than that of a graphite electrode (550 mAh cm(-3)), and show excellent cycling stability after 50 cycles. Even at a high current density of 6495 mA cm(-3) (3 A g(-1)), these nanocomposites retain a stable specific capacity of 504.5 mAh cm(-3) (233 mAh g(-1)). These results demonstrate that PVP-Sn(IV)@Ti3C2 nanocomposites offer fascinating potential for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.