Low-temperature synthesized nanocomposites with amorphous FeOOH on Ti3C2Tx for supercapacitors

The FeOOH has been a hotspot in the field of electrochemical research over recent years owing to its typical channel-type nanoporous structure and high theoretical specific capacitance. However, the poor electrical conductivity limits the applications in supercapacitors. In this investigation, the nanocomposites with amorphous FeOOH on Ti3C2Tx nanosheets were one-step chemically synthesized by using FeCl3 center dot 6H(2)O, NH4HCO3, and Ti3C2Tx(MXene) at room temperature. The nanocomposite samples have been characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements. The results show that the capacitive performance is remarkably improved by introducing highly conductive Ti3C2Tx and being composited with amorphous FeOOH. The specific capacitance of the as-prepared nanocomposite reaches 217 F g(-1) at current density of 1 A g(-1) which is much higher than that of amorphous FeOOH. It also exhibits good rate performance and high charge-discharge cycling stability. The enhancement in electrochemical performance is mainly attributed to the open layered structure with amorphous FeOOH nanoparticles uniformly distributed on Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, which has the enlarged electrode-electrolyte interface area, the shortened diffusion path of ions, and the improved electrical conductivity provided by the conductive Ti3C2Tx frame. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.