Controlled synthesis of alkalized Ti 3 C 2 MXene-supported β-FeOOH nanoparticles as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Ti 3 C 2 MXene, a new family of two-dimensional (2D) materials with metallic conductivity and excellent electrochemical stability, is one of the most promising materials for energy storage. However, its limited interlayer distance and low capacity still impede its further application in Li + batteries. To address this problem, a facile wet chemical method is developed to construct β-FeOOH/Ti 3 C 2 composites assisted by the alkalization treatment of Ti 3 C 2 . The structural and electrochemical properties of β-FeOOH/Ti 3 C 2 are influenced by alkalization treatment and Fe 3+ content. The alkalized Ti 3 C 2 offers larger structural pathway for easy lithium ion transport and buffers the volume changes of FeOOH during lithiation/delithiation. As a result, the β-FeOOH/Ti 3 C 2 composite anodes exhibit good rate performance with a capacity of 332 mAh g −1 at 0.5 A g −1 and an improved cycling capacity 432 mAh g −1 at 0.2 A g −1 after 400 cycles. This study is expected to stimulate the intensive research and development on the MXene-based materials for lithium-ion batteries. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.