Constructing titanium carbide MXene/reduced graphene oxide superlattice heterostructure via electrostatic self-assembly for high- performance capacitive deionization

Capacitive deionization has attracted wide concern on account of its high energy efficiency, low manufacturing cost and environmental friendliness. Nevertheless, the development of capacitive deionization is still impeded because of the scarcity of suitable electrode materials with superior performance. Herein, we successfully prepared the two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene/ reduced graphene oxide (rGO) superlattice heterostructure by a facile electrostatic self-assembly strategy and systematically investigated its performance as capacitive deionized electrode materials. The unique 2D/2D super lattice heterostructure not only effectively alleviates the self-stacking problem of Ti(3)C(2)T(x)MXene nanosheets, but also endows the heterostructure with superior conductivity and fast ion diffusion rate. As a result, the MXene/rGO superlattice heterostructure exhibits an outstanding salt (Na+) adsorption capacity (48 mg g-1) at 1.2 V significantly superior to pristine Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets, along with outstanding long-term cycling performance. Furthermore, the mechanism involved was elucidated through comprehensive characterizations. Therefore, this study offers a new pathway for designing high-performance electrode materials for capacitive deionization.(C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, a two-dimensional titanium carbide/reduced graphene oxide superlattice heterostructure was successfully synthesized and investigated as electrode material for capacitive deionization. The heterostructure exhibited superior performance, including high salt adsorption capacity and long-term cycling stability. The mechanism involved was comprehensively characterized. This study provides a new pathway for designing high-performance electrode materials for capacitive deionization.