Abstract
2D titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx, where Tx indicates the surface termination) MXene nanosheets are synthesized by etching the Ti3AlC2 MAX phase using two kinds of etchants: potassium hydroxide (KOH) base and hydrofluoric (HF) acid. This study aims to reduce the environmental side effects caused by the etchant in fabricating MXene nanosheets to extract strontium ions (Sr2+) from nuclear wastewater. Ti3C2Tx MXene synthesized using alkaline KOH etchant shows a 99% Sr2+ removal rate, which is much higher than that synthesized using the conventional HF etchant (82%). The enhanced Sr2+ removal rate associated with KOH etching is explained by unique surface termination, which offers more active adsorption sites for Sr2+ by the partial hydrolysis of TiC bonds on the surface of MXene nanosheets.
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