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Two-dimensional Nb2C MXene thin films for electro-ionic actuation.
Syed Sheraz Ali1, Do Van Lam2, Haleem Ud Din3
1Interdisciplinary Research Center for Advanced Materials, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Dhahran 31261 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia syed.ali.3@kfupm.edu.sa tawfik@kfupm.edu.sa.
RSC Advances
|July 11, 2026
Summary
A novel molten salt method synthesizes Nb2CTx MXene without fluoride, creating safer, flexible films. These Nb2CTx-PEDOT:PSS composites show enhanced electromechanical actuation for advanced soft actuators.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Conventional synthesis of Nb2CTx MXene relies on hazardous fluoride-based etching.
- Developing safer, scalable synthesis routes for MXenes is crucial for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize Nb2CTx MXene using a fluoride-free molten salt method.
- To fabricate flexible Nb2CTx-PEDOT:PSS composite films for electromechanical actuators.
- To investigate the performance enhancement and underlying mechanisms of these composite actuators.
Main Methods:
- Lewis acid-assisted molten salt etching using silver chloride to produce Nb2CTx MXene from Nb2AlC MAX phase.
- Fabrication of flexible composite thin films by incorporating Nb2CTx into a PEDOT:PSS matrix.
- Electrochemical characterization (cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge) to assess capacitance.
- Electromechanical actuation testing under low-amplitude alternating voltage.
- First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations to analyze electronic structure and interfacial properties.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of Nb2CTx MXene with preserved morphology and controlled surface terminations via a fluoride-free molten salt process.
- Nb2CTx-PEDOT:PSS composite films exhibited stable capacitive behavior with a high areal capacitance of 206.62 mF cm-2.
- The composite actuators demonstrated significantly enhanced electroactive response and bending deformation (up to 10.44 mm) compared to pure PEDOT:PSS films.
- DFT calculations provided insights into improved charge transport and interfacial characteristics contributing to enhanced performance.
Conclusions:
- Molten salt-derived Nb2CTx MXene offers a safer and scalable alternative to fluoride-based synthesis.
- The Nb2CTx-PEDOT:PSS composites are promising materials for high-performance flexible electromechanical actuators.
- The synergistic effects between Nb2CTx and PEDOT:PSS, supported by theoretical calculations, enable advanced soft actuator applications.
