MXene Nanosheets and Carbon Nanofiber Hybrid Membranes for Electrochemical Energy Storage Materials

The microstructure, wettability, and electrochemical performance of MXene/polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-derived hybrid carbon nanofiber membranes (MCNFs) as high-performance supercapacitor electrode materials are reported. A series of MCNFs were prepared using electrospinning, carbonization, and vacuum-assisted filtration deposition methods. Carbonized PAN-derived carbon nanofiber membranes were used as substrates, and MXene dispersion was deposited onto both sides of the carbon nanofiber membranes (CNFs). Structural analysis showed that MXene nanosheets were uniformly attached to PAN-derived CNFs, with increasing deposition thickness on the surface as the MXene content in the dispersion increased. The addition of MXene nanosheets improved the hydrophilicity of CNFs, thus effectively promoting electrolyte penetration at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Thereby, the specific capacitance of PAN-derived pure CNFs increased from 60.2 Fg⁻¹ to a maximum of 436.5 Fg⁻¹ for the hybrid membrane MCNFs, showing a significant enhancement compared to CNFs alone, making it an efficient energy storage device.