Synergistical thermal modulation function of 2D Ti₃C₂ MXene composite nanosheets via interfacial structure...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Two-dimensional MXene materials exhibit excellent in-plane thermal transport.
• Out-of-plane thermal transport properties of MXene remain underexplored.
• Developing MXene composites with tailored thermal conductivity is crucial for advanced applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of graphene oxide (GO) and cellulose nanofiber (CNF) fillers on the out-of-plane thermal transport of Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets.
• To understand how filler arrangement and functional groups influence thermal conductivity.
• To demonstrate a method for preparing MXene composites with controllable thermal properties.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ti3C2 MXene nanosheets with GO or CNF fillers using vacuum-assisted filtration.
• Analysis of the influence of filler type and concentration on the interlayer spacing and spatial configuration of MXene layers.
• Measurement of the out-of-plane thermal conductivity of the fabricated composites.

Main Results:

• Addition of GO and CNF enlarged the interlayer spacing of MXene layers.
• GO nanosheets interspersed parallel to MXene layers, with their oxygen-containing functional groups, suppressed out-of-plane thermal transport, reducing thermal conductivity from 0.5 to 0.31 W/(m·K) at 20 wt% GO.
• CNFs formed out-of-plane protrusions, increasing thermal conductivity to 0.81 W/(m·K) at 20 wt% CNF.

Conclusions:

• The spatial configuration and surface chemistry of fillers significantly impact the out-of-plane thermal transport of MXene composites.
• GO fillers can be used to decrease thermal conductivity, while CNF fillers can enhance it.
• This research provides a pathway for designing MXene-based materials with customized thermal management functionalities.