Modified MAX Phase Synthesis for Environmentally Stable and Highly Conductive Ti3C2 MXene

Abstract

One of the primary factors limiting further research and commercial use of the two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide MXene Ti₃C₂, as well as MXenes in general, is the rate at which freshly made samples oxidize and degrade when stored as aqueous suspensions. Here, we show that including excess aluminum during synthesis of the Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase precursor leads to Ti₃AlC₂ grains with improved crystallinity and carbon stoichiometry (termed Al-Ti₃AlC₂). MXene nanosheets (Al-Ti₃C₂) produced from this precursor are of higher quality, as evidenced by their increased resistance to oxidation and an increase in their electronic conductivity up to 20 000 S/cm. Aqueous suspensions of stoichiometric single- to few-layer Al-Ti₃C₂ flakes produced from the modified Al-Ti₃AlC₂ have a shelf life of over ten months, compared to 1 to 2 weeks for previously published Ti₃C₂, even when stored in ambient conditions. Freestanding films made from Al-Ti₃C₂ suspensions stored for ten months show minimal decreases in electrical conductivity and negligible oxidation. Furthermore, oxidation of the improved Al-Ti₃C₂ in air initiates at temperatures that are 100-150 °C higher than that of conventional Ti₃C₂. The observed improvements in both the shelf life and properties of Al-Ti₃C₂ will facilitate the widespread use of this material.

Keywords: MXene; Ti3C2; electronic conductivity; long-term stability; oxidation resistance.