Latest ArticlesMXenes have emerged as versatile 2D materials that are already gaining paramount attention in the areas of energy, catalyst, electromagnetic shielding, and sensors. The unique surface chemistry, graphene-like morphology, high hydrophilicity, metal-like conductivity with redox capability identifies MXenes, as an ideal material for surface-related applications. This short review summarizes the most recent reports that discuss the potential application of MXenes and their hybrids as a transducer material for advanced sensors. Based on the nature of transducing signals, the discussion is categorized into three sections, which include electrochemical (bio) sensors, gas sensors, and finally, electro-chemiluminescence & fluorescent sensors. The review provides a concise summary of all the analytical merits obtained subsequent to the use of MXenes, followed by endeavors that have been made to accentuate the future perspective of MXenes in sensor devices.
In this study, two-dimensional V2CTx MXene has been prepared by selectively etching Al layers from V2AlC MAX phase by NaF+HCl etching at 90 ℃ for 72 h and its performance as supercapacitor (SC) electrode were tested using simulating seawater as electrolyte. V2CTx MXene-based electrodes shows a good capacitance of 181.1 F/g, which is in accordance with the volumetric specific capacitance of 317.8 F/cm3, and with 89.1% capacitance retention even after 5000 cycle. Compared with other MXenes, V2CTx have better electrochemical performance as SC electrode. This work provides an innovative strategy to apply V2CTx MXene as SC electrode in safety and effective seawater electrolyte.
Ti3C2Tx, a most studied member of MXene family, shows promise as a candidate electrode for pseudocapacitor due to its electronic conductivity and hydrophilic surface. However, the unsatisfactory yield of Ti3C2Tx few-layer flakes significantly restricted it in real applications. Here, we proposed a simple solution to boost the yield of Ti3C2Tx few-layer flakes by decreasing precursor size. When using the small 500 mesh Ti3AlC2 powders as raw material, high yield of 65% was successfully achieved. Moreover, the asreceived small flakes also exhibit an enhanced pseudocapacior performance owing to their excellent electrical conductivity, expanded interlayer space and more O content on the surface. This work not only sheds light on the cost effective mass production of Ti3C2Tx few-layer flakes, but also provides an efficient solution for the design of MXene electrodes with high pseudocapacior performance.
Ti3C2Tx has been emerging as an attractive platform to prepare composite catalysts, and their assembly into integrated catalytic materials represents a key step forward toward practical applications. However, the swelling behavior of Ti3C2Tx leads to significant structure change, which challenges the stability of Ti3C2Tx-based integrated functional materials for catalytic applications. Here we report a facile synthesis of Pd/Ti3C2Tx⊂graphene hydrogels in which Pd/Ti3C2Tx are spatially encapsulated in the 3D porous graphene framework. The porous interconnected structure not only affords efficient mass transfer and desirable functional accessibility to catalytic active sites, but also effectively buffers the swelling behavior of Ti3C2Tx. When applied for catalytic hydrogenation of nitroaromatic compounds, the mechanically robust Pd/Ti3C2Tx⊂graphene hydrogels exhibit efficient activities, easy separability, and good cyclability. This work is expected to promote the application of Ti3C2Tx-based functional materials for practical applications involving interactions with salt solutions, such as supercapacitors, catalysis, and water purification.
Combining high conductivity, hydrophilicity and excellent electrochemical performance in one, MXenes have attracted increasing attention since their inception. However, easy to stack caused by the van der Waals' force between the layers limits their practical application. Fortunately, intercalating other substances between layers of MXenes and getting intercalated MXene-based layered composites (IMLCs) with open structure can improve their physical and chemical properties effectively. Larger available surface helps expose more active sites and enlarged layer spacing facilitates ion transport. In addition, other substances fixed in the interlayers by MXenes' two-dimensional confinement effect can produce synergistic effect and expand their applicable range greatly. This review is dedicated to summarizing the preparation methods and applications of IMLCs, emphasizing the advantages of them in the fields of energy storage, catalysis, sensors, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and biomedicine. Furthermore, prospects and further developments in these gratifying fields are also commented.
Ti3C2Tx has shown great potential in energy storage filed, but the restacking between Ti3C2Tx nanosheets seriously hampers the maximization of its capacitance. In this study, we rationally designed and synthesized porous Ti3C2Tx assemblies without any additive by introducing ice as spacers using a facile freeze-drying method. The porous Ti3C2Tx assemblies have a three-dimensional network structure, which consists of ultra large Ti3C2Tx lamellar walls and lots of macro- and mesopores. It has been proven that there are more-O groups on the surface of the porous Ti3C2Tx assemblies than the Ti3C2Tx film. The porous Ti3C2Tx assemblies deliver a maximum areal capacitance of 1668 mF/cm2 when the mass loading is 8.4 mg/cm2, an optimized specific capacitance of 247.2 F/g when the mass loading is 5.3 mg/cm2, and 87% capacitance retention over 10000 cycles. The symmetric solid-state supercapacitors based on the porous Ti3C2Tx assemblies show an areal capacitance of 355.8 mF/cm2, the maximum power density of 50 mW/cm2 and an outstanding flexibility under different deformation.
Herein, a simple yet efficient hydrothermal strategy is developed to in-situ convert multi-layered niobium-based MXene (Nb2CTx) to hierarchical Nb2CTx/Nb2O5 composite. In the hybrid, the Nb2O5 nanorods are well dispersed in and/or on the Nb2CTx. Thanks to the synergetic contributions from the high capacity of Nb2O5 and superb electrical conductivity of the two-dimensional Nb2CTx itself, the resultant Nb2CTx/Nb2O5 hybrid exhibits excellent rate behaviors and stable long-term cycling behaviors, when evaluated as anodes for Li-ion batteries.
Ti3CNTx MXenes with unique electrical conductivity can be widely applied for supercapacitors and electromagnetic shielding. However, its relatively low-yield quaternary nitrogen-containing Ti3AlCN ceramics precursor (less than 50%), due to the inevitable Al segregation during the synthesizing process, significantly hindered its widely commercial applications. Herein, we employed the controllable AlNoversaturation precursor strategy to precisely tune the phase transition point of quaternary Ti3AlCN ceramics to obtain high-yield Ti3AlCN precursor for the purpose of high conductivity Ti3CNTx MXenes. Combined energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (XRD) with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterizations, the yield of the quaternary nitrogen-containing Ti3AlCN ceramics was evidently proved to be up to 70%, which is 1.4 times than that of previously reported works. Such relatively highyield quaternary Ti3AlCN is mainly ascribed to the elimination of Al segregation. Based on it, we further developed accordion-like two-dimensional (2D) MXene via hydrofluoric acid etch and vacuum freezedry. This novel accordion-like 2D Ti3CNTx MXene possesses high electrochemical capacitive properties (209 F/g). Therefore, this controllable AlN-oversaturation precursor strategy will pave a way to exploit costly high-yield MAX ceramics precursor for high conductivity MXenes and also play a powerful role in promoting their practical applications including electrical and magnetic engineering fields.
The development of two-dimensional hybrid nanomaterial derived from MXenes as high performance electrode material is the key component for the advanced energy storage and conversion systems. In the past decades, MXene derived nanomaterials have attracted greatly interest in scientific activity and potential applications because of their unique synergistic properties such as high thermal stability, excellent electrical conductivity, large surface area, easy to handle and outstanding electro and photo chemical properties. This review is focused on the synthesis of hybrid nanomaterials from MXene (Ti3C2Tx) for renewable energy conversion and storage application including hydrogen evolution reaction, supercapacitor, lithium-ion batteries and photocatalysis. Finally, we also summarized the prospect and opportunities of novel two-dimensional hybrid nanomaterials derived MXene (Ti3C2Tx) for futuristic sustainable energy technology
The demand for flexible and freestanding electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are more and more urgent to combat with serious electromagnetic (EM) radiation pollution. Twodimensional Ti3C2Tx is considered as promising EMI shielding material to graphenes because of the low cost and high electrical conductivity. However, the shielding performance still needs to be optimized to decrease the reflection effectiveness (SER) and increase absorption effectiveness (SEA). Herein, we prepared Ti3C2Tx-bonded carbon black films with a porous structure. The SER decreased from 20 dB to 12 dB and the SEA increased from 31 dB to 47 dB. The best EMI shielding effectiveness can be as high as 60 dB with SEA of 15 dB and SER of 45 dB. Their calculated specific shielding effectiveness can be as high as 8718 dB cm2/g. These results indicate that the porous structure can enhance the absorption of the EMI shielding films, resulting from the enhanced scattering and reflection. Consequently, this work provides a promising MXene-based EMI shielding film with lightweight and flexibility.
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