Preparation of Ti3C2Tx MXene/carbon nanotube/nanosized TiO2 ternary hybrid with superior capacitive properties in presence of ultrasound
摘要
Although Ti3C2Tx MXene offers enhanced capacitive properties, the restacking of monolayered MXene nanosheet is a main obstacle for further improving their electrochemical performance. To address this issue, we introduced carbon nanotube (CNT) and TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) as interlayer spacers by using an ultrasound-induced approach, in which ultrasonication is proven to be effective for tuning the electronic structure of Ti3C2Tx MXene, which allows superior capacitive properties of the Ti3C2Tx MXene. Ti3C2Tx MXene/carbon nanotube/nanosized TiO2 (abbreviated as MCT) ternary hybrid is firstly synthesized together with Ti3C2Tx MXene/CNT and Ti3C2Tx MXene/nanosized TiO2 binary hybrids for comparison. The as-prepared ternary hybrid shows a specific capacitance of 489 F/g at 10 mV/s in 1 M H2SO4 electrolyte, which is 210 F/g, 186 F/g, and 101 F/g higher than the Ti3C2Tx MXene, Ti3C2Tx MXene/TiO2 NPs, and Ti3C2Tx MXene/CNT hybrids. A mix of diffusion-controlled and surface-confined energy storage mechanisms is probed with the latter serving as the dominant one for the charge storage process. 98.9% of the capacitance is retained after 20,000 cycles of tests. The results in this work suggest the acquired MCT ternary hybrid is a promising energy storage material.