Gas-phase synthesis of Ti₂CCl₂ enables an efficient catalyst for lithium-sulfur batteries

MXenes have aroused intensive enthusiasm because of their exotic properties and promising applications. However, to date, they are usually synthesized by etching technologies. Developing synthetic technologies provides more opportunities for innovation and may extend unexplored applications. Here, we report a bottom-up gas-phase synthesis of Cl-terminated MXene (Ti₂CCl₂). The gas-phase synthesis endows Ti₂CCl₂ with unique surface chemistry, high phase purity, and excellent metallic conductivity, which can be used to accelerate polysulfide conversion kinetics and dramatically prolong the cyclability of Li-S batteries. In-depth mechanistic analysis deciphers the origin of the formation of Ti₂CCl₂ and offers a paradigm for tuning MXene chemical vapor deposition. In brief, the gas-phase synthesis transforms the synthesis of MXenes and unlocks the hardly achieved potentials of MXenes.