The effect of Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase synthetic history on the structure and electrochemical properties of resultant Ti₃C₂ MXenes

The synthesis ofMXenes is a lively area of research in today'smaterials science community. Pure carbide and nitride samples with tunable properties and crystal size are desirable for the implementation of these promising young materials in the wider economy. Herein, the preparation of Ti3AlC2 MAX phase has been studied with a viewto improving the quality and purity of the resultant Ti(3)C(2)MXene. Room-temperature high-energy ballmilling is exploited for the mechanical activation of elemental powder mixtures, which, along with adjusted input stoichiometry and heat treatment, achieves high-purity and highly crystalline Ti3AlC2 and Ti3C2 with rather quick and easy methodology. Several approaches are offered, as not all of these preparation steps are strictly necessary for acquiringMXene. The structure and properties of Ti3C2 are shownto depend on the preparation history and precursor characteristics. The MXene is additionally shown to perform well as a substrate for binder-free electrochemical cell electrodes; high electrical conductivity and cycling stability render this MXene@Zn anode a viable option for aqueous Zn-ion systems. (c) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).