Additive-free Electrophoretic-deposited Ti3AlC2 MAX phase Li-ion battery anode

Abstract

• We demonstrated its excellent cycling stability and reversible recovery for MAX anode. • Delamination process activates both faradic and non-faradaic processes. • Pseudocapacitive redox reactions led to reversible battery charging/discharging cycles. M n+1 AX n (MAX, n=1, 2, 3…) is the precursor of Mxene, which is two-dimensional layered transition metal carbides and nitrides. The two-dimensional Mxene layers are fabricated through selective etching of element “A”. To probe the intrinsic electrochemical properties of Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX phase as Li-ion battery anode, we fabricated an additive-free electrophoretically-deposited MAX phase anode electrode. As demonstrated in this report, the MAX phase is highly reversible during charging and discharging cycles, as a result of pseudocapacitive redox reactions caused by delamination of Ti 3 AlC 2 nanolayer aggregates into nanosheets during delithiation. In the present study, we demonstrate excellent cycling reversibility for a Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX phase electrode electrophoretically deposited without additives with a specific capacity of ∼120 mAh/g after cycles up to 10 C-rate.