MXene-based materials composite with phytic acid for potassium-ion battery anodes

Abstract

MXenes, with their metallic conductivity and complex surface chemistry, are emerging as promising newcomers in the field of energy storage materials. In this work, we present innovative iterations of MXene synthesised by phytic acid selective etching and self-assembly, denoted P-MXene, with phytic acid adhered tightly to the surface and increased the interlayer spacing of the MXene, which was beneficial to the embedment/desorption of K+, and etched more active sites. When used as an anode material for potassium ion batteries, P-MXene exhibits superior specific capacity of 135 mAh*g−1, long-term cycling stability capacity of 128.8 mAh*g−1 and higher rate performance (the final capacity of 110.0 mAh*g−1). This transformative development not only establishes a new paradigm for MXene derivatives, but also paves the way for the exploration of high-performance MXene-based energy storage materials.