Alkalized MXene/carbon nanotube composite for stable Na metal anodes

Ti₃C₂ MXenes are emerging 2D materials and have attracted increasing attention in sodium metal anode fabrication because of their high conductivity, multifunctional groups and excellent mechanical performances. However, the severe self-restacking of Ti₃C₂ MXenes is not conducive to dispersing Na⁺ and limits the function of regulating sodium deposition. Herein, an alkalized MXene/carbon nanotube (CNT) composite (named A-M-C) is introduced to regulate Na deposition behavior, which consists of Na₃Ti₅O₁₂ microspheres, Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets and CNTs. Ti₃C₂ MXene nanosheets with large interlayer spaces and "sodiophilic" functional groups can provide abundant active sites for uniform nucleation and deposition of Na. Plenty of nanosheets are grown on the surface of the microsphere, thereby reducing the local current density, which can guide initial Na nucleation and promote Na dendrite-free growth. Furthermore, CNTs increase the electrical conductivity of the composite and achieve fast Na⁺ transport, improving the cycling stability of Na metal batteries. As a result, at a capacity of 1 mA h cm^-2, the A-M-C electrode achieves a high average coulombic efficiency (CE) of 99.9% after 300 cycles at 2 mA cm^-2. The symmetric cells of A-M-C/Na provide a long cycling life of more than 1400 h at 1 mA cm^-2 with a minimal overpotential of 19 mV at an areal capacity of 1 mA h cm^-2. The A-M-C/Na//NVP@C full cell presents a high coulombic efficiency of 98% with 100 mA g^-1 in the first cycle. The strategy in this work provides new insights into fabricating novel MXene-based anode materials for dendrite-free sodium deposition.