Stabilizing the MXenes by Carbon Nanoplating for Developing Hierarchical Nanohybrids with Efficient Lithium Storage and Hydrogen Evolution Capability

The MXenes combining hydrophilic surface, metallic conductivity and rich surface chemistries represent a new family of 2D materials with widespread applications. However, their poor oxygen resistance causes a great loss of electronic properties and surface reactivity, which significantly inhibits the fabrication, the understanding of the chemical nature and full exploitation of the potential of MXene-based materials. Herein we report a facile carbon nanoplating strategy for efficiently stabilizing the MXenes against structural degradation caused by spontaneous oxidation, which provides a material platform for developing MXene-based materials with attractive structure and properties. Hierarchical MoS2/Ti3C2-MXene@C nanohybrids with excellent structural stability, electrical properties and strong interfacial coupling are fabricated by assembling carbon coated few-layered MoS2 nanoplates on carbon-stabilized Ti3C2 MXene, exhibiting exceptional performance for Li storage and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Remarkably, ultra-long cycle life of 3000 cycles with high capacities but extremely slow capacity loss of 0.0016% per cycle is achieved for Li storage at a very high rate of 20 A g(-1). They are also highly active HER electrocatalyst with very positive onset potential, low overpotential and long-term stability in acidic solution. Superb properties highlight the great promise of MXene-based materials in cornerstone applications of energy storage and conversion.