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

Abstract

Ti₃C₂T _x (MXene) exhibits attractive properties in different applications. However, traditional synthesis leads to unsatisfactory yield of two-dimensional (2D) Ti₃C₂T _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 Ti₃C₂ 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 Ti₃C₂T _x from oxidation during the HAI process. Therefore, massive Ti₃C₂T _x 2D sheets can be easily synthesized. Thanks to the synergistic effect of high conductivity and substantial terminated functionalities, these Ti₃C₂T _x 2D sheets show promising application in supercapacitor, providing a high capacitance of 482 F g^-1. Besides, the ultrafast carrier dynamics results of Ti₃C₂T _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 Ti₃C₂T _x 2D sheets but also provides insights into their electronic and optical properties.