Interacting Carbon Nitride and Titanium Carbide Nanosheets for High-Performance Oxygen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for clean energy technologies.
• Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique properties for catalytic applications.
• Graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and titanium carbide (Ti3C2) MXene are promising 2D materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To construct free-standing flexible films from g-C3N4 and Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets.
• To investigate their electrocatalytic activity and stability for the oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media.
• To evaluate their performance as cathodes in rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of free-standing flexible films using 2D g-C3N4 and Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets.
• Electrochemical characterization of the OER performance in an alkaline aqueous system.
• Assembly and testing of rechargeable zinc-air batteries utilizing the fabricated films as cathodes.

Main Results:

• The g-C3N4/Ti3C2 MXene films exhibited outstanding OER activity and stability.
• The excellent performance is attributed to Ti-N(x) motifs acting as electroactive sites and a hierarchically porous, hydrophilic surface.
• The films demonstrated comparable or superior electrocatalytic ability to state-of-the-art catalysts and were effective as rechargeable zinc-air battery cathodes.

Conclusions:

• Rational interaction between different 2D materials significantly enhances oxygen electrochemistry.
• The developed g-C3N4/Ti3C2 MXene films represent efficient electrocatalysts for OER.
• These findings contribute to advancing clean energy systems, particularly rechargeable zinc-air batteries.