High-Yield Delamination of Hydrothermally-Etched V₂CT

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Delaminating hydrothermally etched V2CT MXene presents significant challenges.
• Existing methods for MXene delamination are often inefficient.
• Excess lithium and salts impede the separation of MXene nanosheets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an effective delamination process for hydrothermally etched V2CT MXene.
• To improve the yield and stability of delaminated MXene.
• To enable the production of concentrated and oxidation-resistant MXene.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing X-ray diffraction to analyze the interaction of lithium salts with MXene.
• Employing a dilute acid solution to remove excess salts from the reaction mixture.
• Centrifugation to concentrate the delaminated MXene sample.

Main Results:

• A novel delamination strategy using dilute acid was successfully developed.
• Significantly higher yields of delaminated V2CT MXene were achieved compared to traditional HF-etched methods.
• The concentrated MXene sample exhibited enhanced stability against oxidation, lasting over a year under ambient conditions.

Conclusions:

• The dilute acid treatment is a key step for efficient V2CT MXene delamination.
• The developed method provides a substantial yield of stable, concentrated MXene.
• This advancement facilitates the practical application of MXene materials by improving their stability and accessibility.