Role of MXene surface terminations in electrochemical energy storage: A review

MXenes are a group of recently discovered 2D materials and have attracted extensive attention since their first report in 2011; they have shown excellent prospects for energy storage applications owing to their unique layered microstructure and tunable electrical properties. One major feature of MXenes is their tailorable surface terminations (e.g.,-F,-O,-OH). Numerous studies have indicated that the composition of the surface terminations can significantly impact the electrochemical properties of MXenes. Nonetheless, the underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood, mainly because of the difficulties in quantitative analysis and characterization. This review summarizes the latest research progress on MXene terminations. First, a systematic introduction to the approaches for preparing MXenes is presented, which generally dominates the surface terminations. Then, theoretical and experimental efforts regarding the surface terminations are discussed, and the influence of surface terminations on the electronic and electrochemical properties of MXenes are generalized. Finally, we present the significance and research prospects of MXene terminations. We expect this review to encourage research on MXenes and provide guidance for usingthese materials for batteries and supercapacitors. (c) 2021 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

MXenes are a group of 2D materials with unique layered microstructure and tunable electrical properties, and the composition of their surface terminations significantly affects their electrochemical properties. Research progress mainly focuses on the approaches for preparing MXenes, surface termination control, and the influence on electronic and electrochemical properties. Understanding the surface terminations of MXenes will promote their application in energy storage.