Effect of Layer Thickness on Capacitance Performance of Self-Supporting Ti3c2tx Mxene

Abstract

In recent years, a new family of 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, termed MXene, was prepared from layered precursors using a new exfoliation method. The wide variety of MXenes's surface terminations and elemental compositions give them various intriguing physical, chemical, mechanical, and electrochemical characteristics. High conductivity, specific surface area, and enhanced hydrophilicity are remarkable characteristics of 2D MXene that enable its use in energy storage. However, challenges associated with their oxidation and aggregation can limit their performance in energy storage devices like supercapacitors and batteries. To investigate the relationship between MXene film thickness and charge storage capacity in this study, MXene electrode materials with various film thicknesses were prepared by vacuum filtration. The morphology analysis revealed the excellent lamellar structure and flexibility of prepared MXene thin film electrode. The electrochemical performance of MXene films exhibited the best charge storage capacity at a film thickness of around 17 μm. In an acidic electrolyte, MXene displayed a specific capacity of 293.3 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 current density. The diffusion control process dominated the electrochemical energy storage behavior. The assembled symmetric supercapacitor presented a capacity of 54.3 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1.

Keywords: Ti3C2Tx MXene, layer thickness, 2D materials, Thin film, Supercapacitors