Ion-Confinement-Assisted Erasure Purifies Oxidized MXene for Reuse

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂T_x) MXene offers versatile functional properties but suffers from surface oxidation in aqueous environments, forming insulating TiO₂.
• This degradation hinders practical applications of MXene due to performance loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a strategy for selectively removing surface oxide phases from oxidized MXene.
• To restore the colloidal stability and functional properties of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene.

Main Methods:

• An erasure-purification strategy involving an ion-confined interfacial environment and acid washing.
• Selective removal of pre-existing TiO₂ while mitigating further oxidation.

Main Results:

• The recovered MXene demonstrated restored colloidal stability.
• Reassembled conductive films exhibited high volumetric capacitance and rate performance.
• Purified MXene showed competitive low-frequency electromagnetic attenuation and low infrared emissivity.

Conclusions:

• The proposed erasure-purification strategy offers a practical and generalizable method for reclaiming and reusing oxidized MXene materials.
• This approach enhances the stability and performance of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene for various applications.