Surface Electrical Properties Research Articles

The Effects of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide Conductive Additives on Activated Carbon Supercapacitors

With their relative ease of production and coupled strong surface functionality and electrical conductivity properties, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) are exciting, yet overlooked, graphene-like additive prospects for activated carbon (AC) electrodes in supercapacitors. In this work, we incorporated small amounts of synthesized GO and rGO in AC electrodes via a simple mixing procedure to explore their effects. In addition to materials characterizations, symmetric supercapacitors were made from these electrodes and tested across current densities ranging from 0.1–10 A g−1 and across 10,000 additional charge-discharge cycles at 2 A g−1. Performance measurements indicate that GO and rGO enhance the rate resistance and capacity, respectively, of AC electrodes, but these effects are modest and do not prevent increases in internal resistance over the course of 10,000 cycles. The overall ineffectuality of GO and rGO is reasoned to be due to their isolation and infrequency as a result of the relatively impotent distribution method used.

Evaluation of L-arginine as an Eco-Friendly Activator for Malachite Sulfidization Flotation

Sulfidization xanthate flotation remains the most promising method for the beneficiation of malachite. In this study, L-arginine (LA) was first used to modify the malachite surface and improve the efficiency of sulfidization flotation. The performance of LA was evaluated by the flotation experiments. The mechanism of interaction between LA and the malachite surface was investigated by adsorption experiments, zeta potential measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Flotation experiments showed that LA had a significantly promoting effect on malachite sulfidization flotation. Adsorption experiments and SEM-EDS results indicated that LA improved the adsorption of S (II) species into the malachite surface and promoted the formation of sulfides. This finding was further confirmed by the XPS analysis. The XPS measurements results determined that S (II) species reacted with Cu (II) on the malachite surface and form polysulfides, adding LA promoted the reaction. The zeta potential measurements showed that LA increased the positive electrical properties of the mineral surface, which was conducive to S (II) species adsorption and the sulfidization reaction. This work sheds new light on the development of sulfidization activation.

Ultra-large dynamic range synaptic indium gallium zinc oxide transistors

Three-terminal neuromorphic transistors have garnered considerable attention owing to their superior learning and recognition capabilities in neural computing. For efficient and rapid computing of parallel arithmetic and unstructured large-sized data, a high-synaptic channel conductance (G) (i.e., synaptic weight) and large dynamic range (DR) (i.e., weight update) are necessary. In this study, we successfully fabricated high-performance and all-solution-processed synaptic transistors by employing a thiol–ene photoclick chemistry-based, cross-linked vinyl addition polynorbornene copolymer dielectric layer, poly(norbornene-co-5-vinyl-2-norbornene) (P(NB/VNB)) and sol-gel-derived indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) semiconducting channel layer. The molecular behaviors of free hydroxyl group in the dielectric layer formed via ultraviolet photo-induced thiol–ene click reactions of the polar cross-linker pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) allows slow dipole polarization effects on the IGZO channel layer. An exhaustive and systemic investigation of the surface physicochemical and electrical properties confirmed that the mutual interface coupling between the cross-linked P(NB/VNB) dielectric and IGZO semiconductor exhibited remarkable synaptic functionality with a high G (∼540 μS), large DR (∼6213), and long-term operational stability following excitation with 104 successive pulses that resulted in neural recognition accuracy of 87.11% based on the use of MNIST database set which is close to ideal value of 88%. This high-performance synaptic transistor based on all-solution-derived functional organic–inorganic hybrid stack layers can serve as a basis for the successful implementation of novel neuromorphic computing systems that satisfy the requirements for strong neuronal signal transmission and distinguishable multi-level data states.

Controlled Surface Morphology and Electrical Properties of Sputtered Titanium Nitride Thin Film for Metal–Insulator–Metal Structures

Titanium nitride (TiN) is a material of interest for electrodes owing to its high-temperature stability, robustness, low-cost, and suitable electrical properties. Herein, we studied the surface morphology and electrical properties of TiN thin film deposited onto an Si/SiO2 <100> substrate through direct current (DC) sputtering with a high-purity TiN target in an argon-gas environment. The electrical properties and surface morphology of TiN thin film significantly improved with increased source power and decreased working pressure. The improved electrical properties could be attributed to the suppressed secondary phase (Ti2N) formation and the reduced electron scattering on smoother surface. Consequently, high-quality TiN thin film with the lowest resistivity (ρ = 0.1 mΩ·cm) and the smallest surface roughness (RMS roughness, Rq = 0.3 nm) was obtained under the optimized condition. The TiN film was further used as the bottom electrode for a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitor. Results demonstrated that the electrical properties of TiN film were comparable to those of noble-metal thin films. Therefore, the TiN thin film fabricated by DC sputtering method had excellent electrical properties and good Rq, indicating its potential applications in MIM capacitors and Si technology.

Measurement and Analysis of Mechanical Properties of All-Solid-State Electrodes Fabricated By Dry Process with Saicas

Due to battery fire accidents while driving and charging an electric vehicle, research on improving battery safety as well as increasing the energy density has been extensively performed. For this purpose, an all-solid-state battery without the flammable liquid electrolyte is being more actively conducted. Among various solid electrolyte types, the sulfide-based solid electrolyte has been investigated as the most promising candidate owing to its high ionic conductivity and ductility. However, since sulfide solid electrolyte is too reactive to organic solvents like N-methyl pyrrolidone, a few nonpolar solvents (xylene or toluene) can be used to fabricate sulfide solid electrolyte. Thus, except for rubber binders such as nitrile butadiene rubber, other conventional adhesive binders are excluded from candidates. So, to solve this limitation fundamentally, a dry process without any solvents must be an attractive method for using the sulfide electrolyte in battery manufacturing process. For example, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is frequently used for fabricating all-solid-state electrode (ASSE) with sulfide electrolytes due to its wonderful fibrilization property. However, comparing to the wet process, it is more challenging to distribute all the electrode components uniformly in the dry process, where all the components are mixed through kneading the electrode dough. That is, to maximize the electrochemical performances of ASSEs, it is essential to evaluate the mechanical properties of ASSEs fabricated from dry process and to quantify them for optimization. However, most of research on ASSEs have been focused on their electrochemical performances up to now.Thus, in this work, we attempted to measure the mechanical properties of ASSEs with sulfide electrolyte using a surface and interfacial cutting analysis system (SAICAS). The ASSEs were fabricated through dry process while changing the PTFE binder content. Subsequently, both bulk and interfacial adhesive strengths were analyzed systematically and deliberately by a few μm resolution. Furthermore, to unveil the surface, bulk, and interfacial electrical properties are also measured using an electrode resistance measuring instrument (HIOKI RM2610). Thus, we can provide a correlation between binder content and mechanical/electrical properties of dry ASSEs. Finally, comparative results based on wet processed ASSEs will also be included in this work.

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) synthesis of copper-tin sulfide thin films using low-cost precursors

In this work we demonstrated the process of co-deposition of copper-tin sulfide species by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique using all-low-cost precursors. For the deposition of tin species, the tin(IV) chloride SnCl4 was used successfully for the first time in the ALD process. Moreover, we showed that the successful deposition of the tin sulfide component was conditioned by the pre-deposition of CuS x layer. The co-deposition of copper and tin sulfides components at 150 °C resulted in the in-process formation of the film containing Cu2SnS3, Cu3SnS4 and π-SnS phases. The process involving only tin precursor and H2S did not produce the SnS x species. The spectroscopic characteristic of the obtained materials were confronted with the literature survey, allowing us to discuss the methodology of the determination of ternary and quaternary sulfides purity by Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, the material characterisation with respect to the morphology (SEM), phase composition (XRD), surface chemical states (XPS), optical properties (UV–vis-NIR spectroscopy) and electric (Hall measurements) properties were provided. Finally, the obtained material was used for the formation of the p–n junction revealing the rectifying I–V characteristics.

Preparation of magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles with quaternary ammonium chitosan derivatives and its properties

To explore a novel solution to the challenges in constructing polymer coated magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles, HTCC/Fe3O4/CdTe magnetic fluorescent nanoparticles (MFCNPs) that can be well dispersed in water were prepared via the electrostatic interaction of the cationic N-(2-hydroxyl) propyl-3-trimethyl ammonium chitosan chloride (HTCC) and the anion precoated water-soluble cadmium telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) and the sodium citrate-coated Fe3O4 (SC-Fe3O4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs), which overcame the performance defects of hydrophobic polymer for surface coating and the possible toxicity of cross-linking agent induced by the hydrophilic polymer coating materials. The structural characterizations by FTIR, XRD and XPS reveal that the surfaces of SC-Fe3O4 MNPs and CdTe QDs are coated with HTCC. TEM imaging suggests that the MFCNPs are spherical particles with the diameters of ∼15–20 nm. The MFCNPs exhibit good biocompatibility. Further investigation suggests that the UV-Vis and fluorescence spectral properties and surface electrical properties of HTCC/Fe3O4/CdTe MFCNPs are mainly affected by the relative ratios of SC-Fe3O4 MNPs, CdTe QDs and HTCC. The adsorption and release properties of the MFCNPs were studied using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the model. The results indicate that the chitosan-based magnetic fluorescent composite is a promising delivery carrier candidate with excellent comprehensive properties for both magnetic response and fluorescence imaging.

Dual emissive water-based flexo ink from tapioca-derived carbon dots for anti-counterfeiting applications

Counterfeiting of high-value items is a challenging menace worldwide, and luminescent nanoparticles-based security inks have promising applications while addressing this global issue. As Carbon dots (CDs) show attractive functional properties, hydrophilic CDs were prepared through hydrothermal approach from tapioca starch as an eco-friendly precursor. CDs with bluish-green fluorescence emission under 365 nm UV light illumination was obtained using column chromatography technique. TCSPC studies indicated the presence of blue and green emitters with average lifetimes of 1.12 and 1.61 ns, respectively. The graphitic and polycrystalline nature of CDs (~9 nm) with negatively charged surface groups was confirmed through ATR-IR, XPS, RS, XRD, SAED, DLS and TEM. An eco-friendly water-based security ink for flexography printing was formulated, and the influence of the ink components on the fluorescence of CDs were studied. The prints on UV dull paper displayed good abrasion resistance, densitometry and colorimetric values. The letters written using the invisible ink exhibited good security features including excellent covertness under daylight, and a bluish-green emission under 365 nm UV light. Moreover, a yellow emission was perceived using a yellow-orange pass filter under the same light source. The surface morphology and electrical property investigations suggested the use of flexo-ink in flexible printed electronics for anti-counterfeiting. These results propose that Tapioca-derived CDs can enable unique optical features in its eco-friendly ink formulation to demonstrate promising security applications.

Soft-template-assisted synthesis of Petals-like MoS2 nanosheets covered with N-doped carbon for long cycle-life sodium-ion battery anode

The Petals-like N -doped carbon@MoS 2 (N–C@MoS 2 ) nanosheets are elaborately constructed by g-C 3 N 4 soft-template. As a remarkable anode for SIBs, the N–C@MoS 2 electrode has long-term stability properties, which delivers high capacities of 246 mA h/g at 1.5 A/g after 1000 cycles. • G-C 3 N 4 template inhibits the agglomeration of MoS 2 and realize nitrogen doping of carbon layer. • N -doped carbon layers can improve electronic conductivity and ionic diffusion rate. • The electrode can deliver the capacity of 246 mA h g −1 at 1.5 A/g after 1000 cycles. • The superior performance is ascribed to enhanced conductivity and alleviation volume variation. Molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) is a promising anode material for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) owing to its graphene-like layered structure and high-capacity (670 mAh/g). However, its inherent poor electrical conductivity and slow Na-ion transportation are the two vital factors limiting its application in SIBs. Herein, the petals-like N -doped carbon@MoS 2 (N–C@MoS 2 ) nanosheets anode are elaborately constructed by the MoS 2 host, g-C 3 N 4 soft-template and carbonated pyrrole conductive matrix. Particularly, the g-C 3 N 4 as a soft-template can effectively inhibit the agglomeration of MoS 2 nanosheets during high temperature treatment and realize nitrogen doped of carbon layer. Most importantly, N -doped carbon layers can improve the electronic ionic diffusion rate and conductivity as well as generate numerous active sites. The volume expansion of MoS 2 is also mitigated due to the constraint of carbon layer by improving the surface electrical property and surface activity. Therefore, the N–C@MoS 2 electrode displays excellent long cycle-life and high-capacity as SIBs anode, which delivers high-capacity of 399 and 246 mAh/g after 300 and 1000 cycles at 0.2 and 1.5 A/g, respectively. The idea of preparing N–C@MoS 2 composite material based on g-C 3 N 4 soft-template afford experimental origin for the further progress of Na-storage device and can be certainly stretched to other transition metal compounds that can form composite structure with g-C 3 N 4 .

Repeated bending durability evaluation of ZnO and Al-doped ZnO thin films grown on cyclo-olefin polymer for flexible oxide device applications

ZnO and Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films were fabricated on cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) substrates with different thicknesses for flexible device applications, and their bending strength was evaluated using surface observations and two-terminal resistance measurements. The fabricated films were subjected to repeated bending endurance tests up to 10 000 cycles. As COP substrate thickness was decreased, surface distortion decreased, two-terminal resistance fluctuations decreased, cracks in SiO2 buffer layer suppressed, and bending strength improved. When COP substrate thickness was 50 μm, variation in two-terminal resistance was negligible, and an oxide thin film device with durability of 10 000 cycles was successfully fabricated. Crystallinity evaluation using X-ray diffraction and mechanical characterization using nanoindentation were performed. This study discusses ZnO and AZO thin films for flexible device applications in relation to their surface conditions, electrical properties, crystallinity, and mechanical properties in cyclic bending tests. The results indicate that these thin films are useful materials for flexible devices.

Assessment of commercialized nylon membranes integrated with thin layer of MWCNTs for potential use in desalination process

In this work, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) will be implemented as a coating material on commercial membranes (nylon) using Trix as a surfactant. Four masses of MWCNTs (5, 15, 30, and 60 mg) were used in the coating process. Many parameters were measured for both nylon and the four coated membranes. These parameters include their electrical properties, wettability, mechanical properties, surface and textural properties, permeability and rejection of salt. The findings indicated that Elongation within the range of 2.7–18%, tensile strength within the range of 2.5–3.4 MPa, and Young's moduli in the range of 63–154 MPa were found in the fabricated membranes arising from MWCNTs and surfactants dispersions. The performance of membrane rejection was examined using NaCl or MgSO4 single salts. The fabricated membrane containing 60 mg of MWCNTs, on the other hand, can reject electrolytes with a very low rejection ratio of less than 14% for NaCl and 10% for MgSO4. This made as ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, and therefore they can be used as pre-treatment membranes in desalination processes. Future study is required to improve the rejection of these coated membranes by adding more additives such as polymers or biopolymers.

Surface electric properties of polymer films as driving force of charges in noncontact rotating disk device for rotary mechanical energy harvesting

Surface electric properties of polymer films as driving force of charges in noncontact rotating disk device for rotary mechanical energy harvesting

Wet Etching of Quartz Using a Solution Based on Organic Solvents and Anhydrous Hydrofluoric Acid.

The quartz-crystal resonator is the core device for frequency control in modern communication systems and network technology. At present, in modern resonator blanks manufacturing, BOE solution is usually used as the etching solution, but its etching rate is relatively volatile, and the surface morphology of the blanks is prone to defects after etching, which brings certain difficulties to the deep-etching process of the wafer. To solve the above challenges, this paper systematically compares a BOE solution and anhydrous etching solution in terms of etching rate, surface morphology, and electrical properties of the blanks after etching. Seven groups of blanks were etched using different etching solutions with different etching conditions to verify their effect on the surface morphology and electrical properties of quartz blanks. The experimental results suggest that the application of anhydrous etching solution has achieved better surface morphology and electrical properties and can be more suitable for application in batch manufacturing. In general, when using anhydrous etching solution, it is possible to reduce surface roughness by up to 70% and equivalent resistance by 32%, and the etch rate is almost 10 times lower than BOE solution under the same temperature, which is more conducive to the rate control of wafers in the etching process.

ВЛИЯНИЕ МИНЕРАЛЬНЫХ НАПОЛНИТЕЛЕЙ НА РАЗЖИЖЕНИЕ ЦЕМЕНТНЫХ СУСПЕНЗИЙ С ПОМОЩЬЮ ПАВ

The effectiveness of the action of anion-active superplasticizers in mineral suspensions based on powders with different electrical surface properties has been studied. It is shown that in suspensions with positively charged particles (marble) the best thinning effect is observed. At the same time, in suspensions based on powdered quartz with a predominantly negative sign of the particle surface charge, the effectiveness of the action of superplasticizers is significantly reduced. It has been established that it is possible to increase significantly the diluting ability of anionic modifiers (by 40-68%) in quartz suspensions by introducing calcium carbonate (5%) during their joint grinding. The increase in liquefaction is due to the fact that blocking of negatively charged active centers of quartz sand is observed during joint grinding with CaCO3. It is shown that the electrosurface properties of the powdered filler have a secondary effect on the liquefaction of the cement paste with a filler composition of 1:1, since hydroaluminate particles with a positive surface charge have a predominant effect on the liquefaction. The electrical surface properties of the filler significantly affect the stability of the diluting ability of the joint venture over time due to heterocoagulation reactions with charged particles of the hydrated phases of Portland cement. It is shown that the strength of powder concretes with 10 and 30% fillers depended on the type of material used.

Wound-Dressing-Based Antenna Inkjet-Printed Using Nanosilver Ink for Wireless Medical Monitoring.

In this paper, we present a wound-dressing-based antenna fabricated via screen-printed and inkjet-printed technologies. To inkjet print a conductive film on wound dressing, it must be screen-printed, UV-curable-pasted, and hard-baked to provide appropriate surface wettability. Two passes were UV-curable-pasted and hard-baked at 100 °C for 2 h on the wound dressing to obtain 65° WCA for silver printing. The silver film was printed onto the wound dressing at room-tempature with 23 μm droplet spacing for three passes, then sintered at 120 °C for 1 h. By optimizing the inkjet printing conditions by modifying the surface morphologies and electrical properties, three-pass printed silver films with 3.15 μm thickness and 1.05 × 107 S/m conductivity were obtained. The insertion losses at the resonant frequency (17 and 8.85 GHz) were −2.9 and −2.1 dB for the 5000 and 10,000 μm microstrip transmission lines, respectively. The material properties of wound dressing with the relative permittivity and loss-tangent of 3.15–3.25 and 0.04–0.05, respectively, were determined by two transmission line methods and used for antenna design. A quasi-Yagi antenna was designed and implemented on the wound-dressing with an antenna bandwidth of 3.2–4.6 GHz, maximal gain of 0.67 dBi, and 42% radiation efficiency. The bending effects parallel and perpendicular to the dipole direction of three fixtures were also examined. The gain decreased from 0.67 to −1.22 dBi and −0.44 dBi for a flat to curvature radius of 5 cm fixture after parallel and perpendicular bending, respectively. Although the maximal gain was reduced with the bending radius, the directivity of the radiation pattern remained unchanged. The feasibility of a wound-dressing antenna demonstrates that inkjet-printed technology enables fast fabrication with low cost and environmental friendliness. Additionally, inkjet-printed technology can be combined with sensing technology to realize remote medical monitoring, such as with smart bandages, for assessment of chronic wound status or basic physical conditions.

Investigations of structural, optical, electrical and photocatalytic behavior of ZnO:N thin films for p-type substrate: Influence of annealing temperature

This study used a simplified, automated spray pyrolysis setup with a perfume atomizer to prepare nitrogen (N) doped ZnO thin films. The deposited thin films were annealed at 300 ºC to 500 ºC under a nitrogen atmosphere. In the present work, detailed investigations are carried out on the effect of annealing on structural, optical, and surface morphological, photoluminescence, and electrical properties of p-type ZnO:N thin films. The effect of annealing temperature on the photocatalytic activity of N-doped ZnO thin films was studied, the degradation efficacy was and 91%. The XRD diffractograms depicted that all the prepared films have a wurtzite structure, high crystallinity, and C-axis orientation. The increased annealing temperature received a red shift in the band gap. A flake-like morphology was observed from SEM images. The p-type to n-type conductivity transformation is kept at the maximum applied annealing temperature of 500 ºC. A resistivity received ∼ 21.7 Ω cm was obtained for 400 ºC annealing temperature. Photocatalytic studies confirmed that higher degradation efficiency was exhibited for higher annealing temperatures. The present investigations reveal that the properties of p-ZnO:N thin films are highly suitable for optoelectronic applications.

Electrostatic Polydopamine-Interface-Mediated (e-PIM) filters with tuned surface topography and electrical properties for efficient particle capture and ozone removal

Ambient particulate matter (PM) poses severe environmental health risks to the public globally, and efficient filtration technologies are urgently needed for air ventilation. In this contribution, to overcome the efficiency-resistance trade-off for fibrous filtration, we introduced an electrostatic polydopamine-interface-mediated (e-PIM) filter utilizing a combined effect of particle pre-charging and filter polarizing. After delineating the PM-fiber interactions in electrostatic filtration, we designed a composite fiber structure and fabricated the filters by a two-step dip-coating. The surface topography and electrical potential of the polyester (PET) coarse substrates were regulated by successively coating polydopamine (PDA) layers and manganese oxide clusters. By this means, an 8-mm-thick Mn-P @ P-100 filter possessed improved efficiency of 96.05%, 97.60%, and 99.14% for 0.3–0.5 µm, 0.5–1 µm, and 1–3 µm particles, the ultralow air resistance of 10.4 Pa at a filtration velocity of 0.5 m/s, and steady ozone removal property. Compared with the pristine PET substrates, the efficiency for 0.3–0.5 µm particles expanded 12 times. Compared with the pristine PET substrates, the efficiency for 0.3–0.5 µm particles expanded 12 times. We expect e-PIM filters and the filtration prototype will be potential candidates as effective and low-cost air cleaning devices for a sustainable and healthy environment.

Synthesis of Ag@AgCl/CA and Visible-Light Photocatalytic Degradation of Oxtetracycline.

Chemical coupling, in-situ deposition of supported AgCl, and photoreduction were used to create Ag@AgCl/CA. The morphology, structure, and surface area of the prepared Ag@AgCl/CA were characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, and BET. The photogenerated electron transport efficiency and visible light absorption were analyzed by photocurrent and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), respectively. The surface electrical properties and degradation stability were evaluated by zeta potential measurement and cyclic catalytic degradation experiments, and the photocatalytic mechanism was proposed in detail based on the ESR test and trapping experiment. The results showed that the cluster of Ag@AgCl nanoparticles were distributed on the CA crosslinking structure. The prepared Ag@ AgCl/CA photocatalytic material has a high Zeta potential, stable photocurrent, and small photogenerated electron transfer resistance. It has good adsorption and photocatalytic degradation stability for OTC. The material has a relatively strong absorption in the visible light range. Temperature and initial pH had significant effects on the degradation of OTC by photocatalytic materials. The photocatalytic degradation rate was the highest at 40°C and pH6, and the photocatalytic degradation process conformed to the quasi-first-order reaction kinetics. Holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (·O2－) were the main active species for the degradation of OTC.

Preparation of Ag@AgCl/GO Material with Efficient Visible-Light Photocatalytic Performance

Ag@AgCl/GO was prepared by chemical coupling, in-situ deposition of supported AgCl, and photoreduction. The morphology, structure, and surface area of the prepared Ag@AgCl/GO were characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, Raman spectra, and BET. The optical properties of the photocatalyst were analyzed by PL and UV-Vis DRS, respectively. The surface electrical properties and degradation stability were evaluated by zeta potential measurement and cyclic catalytic degradation experiments, and the photocatalytic mechanism was proposed in detail based on the ESR test and trapping experiment. The results showed that Ag@AgCl nanoparticles were spherical and cluster distributed on the folded structure of GO. The prepared Ag@AgCl/GO had good adsorption performance and photocatalytic degradation stability. The material showed good visible light catalytic performance; especially, the degradation rates of cationic dyes RhB and MB were significantly higher than those of anionic dyes MO and CR, and their degradation processes were in line with the quasi-first-order reaction kinetics. Holes (h+) and superoxide radicals (·O2－) were the main active species for the degradation of RhB.

MXenes as Emerging Materials: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications.

Due to their unique layered microstructure, the presence of various functional groups at the surface, earth abundance, and attractive electrical, optical, and thermal properties, MXenes are considered promising candidates for the solution of energy- and environmental-related problems. It is seen that the energy conversion and storage capacity of MXenes can be enhanced by changing the material dimensions, chemical composition, structure, and surface chemistry. Hence, it is also essential to understand how one can easily improve the structure–property relationship from an applied point of view. In the current review, we reviewed the fabrication, properties, and potential applications of MXenes. In addition, various properties of MXenes such as structural, optical, electrical, thermal, chemical, and mechanical have been discussed. Furthermore, the potential applications of MXenes in the areas of photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, nitrogen fixation, gas sensing, cancer therapy, and supercapacitors have also been outlooked. Based on the reported works, it could easily be observed that the properties and applications of MXenes can be further enhanced by applying various modification and functionalization approaches. This review also emphasizes the recent developments and future perspectives of MXenes-based composite materials, which will greatly help scientists working in the fields of academia and material science.