An efficient water-assisted liquid exfoliation of layered MXene (Ti3C2Tx) by rationally matching Hansen solubility parameter and surface tension

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) have spurred great attention in many applications due to their outstanding electronic or mechanical properties. The exfoliation into single and fewer layer nanosheets of MXene is a requisite step for performance study in many cases. Herein this study aims to propose a facile and convenient liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) method to fabricate fewer-layer MXene nanosheets in large scale. The Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs) and surface tension component ratio are estimated and further applied to detect a green low-boiling-point water/acetone cosolvent for the better exfoliation of MXene. It has been found that the exfoliation efficiency is improved efficiently by matching HSPs and surface tension component ratio of MXene to that of solvents. A high concentrated MXene dispersion up to 1.727 mg/ml in the optimum composition of the water/acetone mixture which is approximately 78 and 5 times higher than that in pure acetone and water, respectively. Detailed characterization of morphology and suspension stability of exfoliated MXene are implemented which exhibit that the high quality and more stable MXene nanosheets are obtained in the suitable cosolvent. In addition, the determined HSPs and surface tension component ratio of MXene here will make a contribution to finding other new efficient solvents for MXene conveniently in specific fields.