The multiple synthesis of layered V2CTx-MXene composites with enhanced electrochemical properties

Abstract

There are several approaches to develop electrode materials with high electrical conductivity and low resistance, as well as good stability, that can be accomplished using MXene, but many of them are difficult to apply and implement in practice. As described in this paper, a surfactant-free assembly technique using hydrofluoric acid (HF) aided surfactant-free assembly was used to rationally produce a composite material composed of V2CTx +Ag+MWCNTs+Ag. It is shown that the doping of two Ag particles and the uniform growth of MWCNTs on the surface can expand the V2CTx layered structure and provide more active surface area for electrolyte ions. The entrance of Ag particles and MWCNTs had a bridging effect, and the functional groups on the surface of V2CTx synergized together to build a conductive pathway that was conductive to the surrounding medium. In addition, the charge transfer resistance of the V2CTx +Ag+MWCNTs+Ag composite electrode material was found to be only 15.1 Ω in the EIS test, with an extremely steady specific capacitance retention in the CV test. The V2CTx +Ag+MWCNTs+Ag composites were prepared by solution mixing method. From the experimental results, the addition of Ag particles and MWCNTs did not significantly improve the electrochemical properties of the composites, which may be due to collapse and fragmentation during the preparation process and needs to be further explored.