Micro-Structural and Flexible Reduced Graphene Oxide/Ti3C2Tx Composite Film Electrode with Long Cycle Life for Supercapacitor

Poor rate capability due to the sheet self-stacking of conventional MXene electrode limits their electrochemical application to some extent. Herein, incorporating reduced graphene oxide into Ti3C2Tx MXene is reported to improve the electrochemical performance, cycle lifetime, and mechanical flexibility significantly. Graphene oxide is reduced by thermal heating, by which it can release gas locally to induce micro-surface structure. The resulting film with an introduction of 20 wt% graphene oxide exhibits an expansion of the interlayer space to multiply the active sites and thereby lead to a specific capacitance of up to 322 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) in 3 m H2SO4 electrolyte. In addition, the fabricated composite electrode also exhibits an excellent cycle stability and mechanical flexibility even after 32 000 charge/discharge cycles. This work provides a progressive strategy to synthesize micro-structural and flexible MXene-based electrode for the future application in flexible energy storage devices.

Automated summary

Incorporating reduced graphene oxide into Ti3C2Tx MXene enhances electrochemical performance, cycle lifetime, and mechanical flexibility. The resulting composite electrode shows improved capacitance and excellent stability, making it a promising candidate for flexible energy storage devices in the future.