Boosting the Yield of MXene 2D Sheets via a Facile Hydrothermal-Assisted Intercalation

Ti3C2Tx (MXene) exhibits attractive properties in different applications. However, traditional synthesis leads to unsatisfactory yield of two-dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx, e.g., lower than 20%, which stems from the strong interactions of potential TiTi bonds and residual Ti-Al bonds between the adjacent Ti3C2 layers, hindering the effective intercalation and delamination. Herein, we propose a facile hydrothermal-assisted intercalation (HAI) strategy to boost the yield of 2D sheets, achieving a record high value of 74%. This HAI assists the diffusion and intercalation of reagent effectively, promoting the subsequent delamination; meanwhile, an antioxidant is applied to protect these Ti3C2Tx from oxidation during the HAI process. Therefore, massive Ti3C2Tx 2D sheets can be easily synthesized. Thanks to the synergistic effect of high conductivity and substantial terminated functionalities, these Ti3C2Tx 2D sheets show promising application in supercapacitor, providing a high capacitance of 482 F g(-1). Besides, the ultrafast carrier dynamics results of Ti3C2Tx 2D sheets clearly imply the promising application in photocatalysis due to the relatively long bleaching relaxation time. Our work not only paves the way for the mass production of Ti3C2Tx 2D sheets but also provides insights into their electronic and optical properties.