skip to main content


Title: Advancements in 2D MXene-based supercapacitor electrodes: synthesis, mechanisms, electronic structure engineering, flexible wearable energy storage for real-world applications, and future prospects
Supercapacitors are widely recognized as a favorable option for energy storage due to their higher power density compared to batteries, despite their lower energy density. However, to meet the growing demand for increased energy capacity, it is crucial to explore innovative materials that can enhance energy storage efficiency. Recent research has focused on investigating various electrode materials for use in supercapacitors, with particular attention given to MXenes. MXenes exhibit immense potential for energy storage due to their unique characteristics, including a 2D van der Waals layered structure, small band gaps, hydrophilic surface, excellent electrical conductivity, high specific surface area, and active redox sites on the surface facilitated by transition metals. These attributes collectively contribute to their promising stability, energy and power density, and overall lifespan. This comprehensive review explores a diverse array of topics pertaining to the latest 2D MXene-based supercapacitor electrodes. It encompasses discussions on different synthesis methods, electrode structures, the underlying working mechanisms, and the impact of electrolytes on supercapacitor performance. Additionally, a concise overview of various types of MXene materials is presented, ranging from titanium-based MXenes to niobium-based MXenes, vanadium-based MXenes, molybdenum-based MXenes, and tantalum-based MXenes. Furthermore, this review focuses on electronic structure engineering strategies such as heterostructures based on MXenes, heteroatom-doping based on MXenes, polymer based MXenes, and ternary composites based on MXenes, all of which contribute to improving the electrochemical performance of supercapacitors. The review thoroughly examines the advantages and disadvantages of MXene-based supercapacitor electrodes, offering a comprehensive understanding of their strengths and limitations. Additionally, it discusses the structural stability of MXene-based electrodes after electrochemical testing, as well as their applications in daily human life, particularly focusing on the uses of MXene-based flexible wearable energy storage for real-world applications. In the end, the challenges and prospects of MXenes in supercapacitors are discussed.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1900692
PAR ID:
10517931
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Editor(s):
Hagfeldt, Anders
Publisher / Repository:
Royal Society of Chemistry
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume:
XX
Issue:
XX
ISSN:
2050-7488
Page Range / eLocation ID:
XX
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
Capacitor, MXene
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract

    MXenes are 2D materials with relatively high surface areas, high electrical conductivities, functional transition metal surfaces, tunable surface chemistries, and solution processability. Due to these properties, 2D MXenes have attracted widespread attention as electrode materials for energy storage devices, including electrochemical capacitors, with high power and energy densities. However, many studies have shown that the electrochemical performance of MXene electrodes is considerably affected by their structure and morphology. These properties are, for the most part, controlled by the method used for the assembly of 2D MXene flakes and the electrode fabrication methods. A successful electrode assembly and fabrication method should address several challenges, such as the restacking of 2D flakes, to achieve electrode structures and morphologies that deliver high ionic transport properties, electrical conductivity, and mechanical stability. This review aims to provide insight into the current state‐of‐the‐art assembly and fabrication methods used to design and fabricate high performance electrodes based on MXenes. The major challenges to be addressed and possible future directions in the fabrication of MXene electrodes for practical energy storage applications are highlighted.

     
    more » « less
  2. Abstract Batteries and supercapacitors have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation energy storage technologies. The rapid development of new two-dimensional (2D) electrode materials indicates a new era in energy storage devices. MXenes are a new type of layered 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides that have drawn much attention because of their excellent electrical conductivity, electrochemical and hydrophilic properties, large surface area, and attractive topological structure. This review focuses on various synthesis methods to prepare vanadium carbide MXenes with and without etchants like hydrofluoric acid, lithium fluoride, and hydrochloric acid to remove the ‘A’ layers of the MAX phase. The goal is to demonstrate the utilization of a less toxic etching method to achieve MXenes of comparable properties to those prepared by traditional methods. The influence of intercalation on the effect of high interlayer spacing between the MXene layers and the performance of MXenes as supercapacitor and battery electrodes is also addressed in this review. Lastly, the gaps in the current knowledge for vanadium carbide MXenes in synthesis, scalability, and utilization in more energy storage devices were discussed. 
    more » « less
  3.  
    more » « less
  4. Abstract

    Electrochemical capacitors (ECs) that store charge based on the pseudocapacitive mechanism combine high energy densities with high power densities and rate capabilities. 2D transition metal carbides (MXenes) have been recently introduced as high‐rate pseudocapacitive materials with ultrahigh areal and volumetric capacitances. So far, 20 different MXene compositions have been synthesized and many more are theoretically predicted. However, since most MXenes are chemically unstable in their 2D forms, to date only one MXene composition, Ti3C2Tx, has shown stable pseudocapacitive charge storage. Here, a cation‐driven assembly process is demonstrated to fabricate highly stable and flexible multilayered films of V2CTxand Ti2CTxMXenes from their chemically unstable delaminated single‐layer flakes. The electrochemical performance of electrodes fabricated using assembled V2CTxflakes surpasses Ti3C2Txin various aqueous electrolytes. These electrodes show specific capacitances as high as 1315 F cm−3and retain ≈77% of their initial capacitance after one million charge/discharge cycles, an unprecedented performance for pseudocapacitive materials. This work opens a new venue for future development of high‐performance supercapacitor electrodes using a variety of 2D materials as building blocks.

     
    more » « less
  5. Supercapacitors and batteries are essential for sustainable energy development. However, the bottleneck is the associated high cost, which limits bulk use of batteries and supercapacitors. In this context, realizing that the cost of energy‐storage device mainly depends on materials, synthesis processes/procedures, and device fabrication, an effort is made to rationally design and develop novel low‐cost electrode materials with enhanced electrochemical performance in asymmetric supercapacitors. Herein, surface functionalization approach is adopted to design low‐cost 3D mesoporous and nanostructured nickel–nickel oxide electrode materials using facile synthesis for application in supercapacitors. It is demonstrated that the 3D mesoporous Ni provides the high surface area and enhanced ionic conductivity, while germanium functionalization improves the electrical conductivity and reduces the charge‐transfer resistance of NiO. Surface functionalization with Ge demonstrates the significant improvement in specific capacitance of NiO. The asymmetric supercapacitor using these Ge‐functionalized NiO–Ni electrodes provides a specific capacitance of 304 Fg−1(94 mF cm−2), energy density of 23.8 Wh kg−1(7.35 μWh cm−2), and power density of 6.8 kW kg−1(2.1 mW cm−2) with excellent cyclic stability of 92% after 10 000 cycles. To validate their practical applications, powering the digital watch using the asymmetric supercapacitors in laboratory conditions is demonstrated.

     
    more » « less