Thickness-independent capacitance of vertically aligned liquid-crystalline MXenes

Konjac glucomannan-derived nitrogen-containing layered microporous carbon for high-performance supercapacitors

Biomass-derived carbon-based materials represent a promising class of candidates for supercapacitors.

Recent Development of Printed Micro-Supercapacitors: Printable Materials, Printing Technologies, and Perspectives

The rapid progression of portable and wearable electronics has necessitated the development of high-performing, miniaturized energy-storage devices with flexible form factors and high energy and power delivery. Printed micro-supercapacitors (MSCs), with in-plane interdigital configurations, is touted as a promising choice to fulfill these requirements. New printing technologies can assemble MSCs with fiscal and environmental benefits, large form factors, and at high throughputs, qualities not afforded with conventional microfabrication technologies. Here, recent progress in the preparation of functional ink systems for wearable MSCs, encompassing electrode materials, conductor materials, and electrolytes, is presented. First, a comprehensive background of the fundamentals of printing technology is introduced, with discussions focusing on methods of improving ink functionality while simultaneously retaining good printability. Second, various printing techniques to ensure manufacturable scaling of wearable MSCs with high areal electrochemical performance and small footprint are explored. Within the scope of these two topics, various issues that hinder the full materialization of widespread adoption of printed MSC and next steps to overcome these issues are discussed. Further deep dives in scientific and technical challenges are also presented, including limited functionality of the inks, low printing resolution, overlay accuracy, and complex encapsulation.

Facile synthesis of CuS/MXene nanocomposites for efficient photocatalytic hydrogen generation

Deposition of covellite CuS nanocrystals on the multilayered MXene and few-layered MXene by a facile reaction of S²⁻ with Cu²⁺ precursors to obtain 0D/2D nanocomposites.

Coupling Topological Insulator SnSb2 Te4 Nanodots with Highly Doped Graphene for High-Rate Energy Storage

Topological insulators have spurred worldwide interest, but their advantageous properties have scarcely been explored in terms of electrochemical energy storage, and their high-rate capability and long-term cycling stability still remain a significant challenge to harvest. p-Type topological insulator SnSb₂ Te₄ nanodots anchoring on few-layered graphene (SnSb₂ Te₄ /G) are synthesized as a stable anode for high-rate lithium-ion batteries and potassium-ion batteries through a ball-milling method. These SnSb₂ Te₄ /G composite electrodes show ultralong cycle lifespan (478 mAh g^-1 at 1 A g^-1 after 1000 cycles) and excellent rate capability (remaining 373 mAh g^-1 even at 10 A g^-1 ) in Li-ion storage owing to the rapid ion transport accelerated by the PN heterojunction, virtual electron highways provided by the conductive topological surface state, and extraordinary pseudocapacitive contribution, whose excellent phase reversibility is confirmed by synchrotron in situ X-ray powder diffraction. Surprisingly, durable lifespan even at practical levels of mass loading (>10 mg cm^-2 ) for Li-ion storage and excellent K-ion storage performance are also observed. This work provides new insights for designing high-rate electrode materials by boosting conductive topological surfaces, atomic doping, and the interface interaction.

Ultra-thick electrodes based on activated wood-carbon towards high-performance quasi-solid-state supercapacitors

Ultrathick electrodes with low-tortuosity pathways based on activated wood-carbon are prepared through surface engineering, which exhibit outstanding supercapacitor performance at the device level.

Emerging 2D MXenes for supercapacitors: status, challenges and prospects

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the emerging 2D MXene electrode materials for supercapacitor application.

A high-performance trace level acetone sensor using an indispensable V4C3Tx MXene

A high-performance acetone sensor utilizing an emerging indispensable V₄C₃T_x MXene is described via combining experimental results with theoretical study.

Ambient oxidation of Ti3C2 MXene initialized by atomic defects

MXenes are a group of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides that have been widely used for many useful applications such as energy storage, catalysis and sensors. For large scale applications of MXenes, the ambient stability is a critical issue. However, the detailed degradation mechanism of MXenes remains largely unclear. Here, the oxidation mechanism of MXene flakes under ambient conditions has been studied using aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The heterogeneous growth of titanium oxide has been observed in the vicinity of atomic defects on the MXene basal plane as well as on the edges of MXene flakes. C atoms are oxidized at Ti-vacancies to form amorphous carbon aggregations, while Ti cations are oxidized at the nearby sites with atomic steps/edges. The diffusion of both electrons and Ti cations is involved and the Ti-ion diffusion is prompted by an internal electric field intrinsically built up during oxidation. The anatase TiO₂ nanoparticles preferentially grow along the {101} lattice plane. A loose orientation relationship between the anatase TiO₂ and MXene was identified, showing that mostly the {101} plane of TiO₂ nanocrystals is perpendicular to the Ti₃C₂-MXene {0001} basal plane. This work reveals at atomic resolution the oxidation mechanism of MXenes under ambient conditions and will shed light on the design and synthesis of more stable MXenes. It may also provide insights to develop a one-step method to synthesize hybrid structures of carbon supported TiO₂ nanoparticles for future large scale applications.

Modulation engineering of 2D MXene-based compounds for metal-ion batteries

The increasing demand for next generation rechargeable metal-ion batteries (MIBs) has boosted the exploration of high-performance electrode materials. Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes), the largest family of 2D materials, show extremely competitive potential applications in electrodes due to their excellent electrical conductivity, chemical diversity, and large specific surface area. However, the problems of uncontrollable surface functionalization, interlayer restack and collapse significantly hinder their practical applications. To this end, effective strategies to modify traditional MXenes for targeted electrochemical performance are highly desirable. In this mini review, we briefly summarize the most recent and constructive development in the modulation engineering of 2D MXene-based transition-metal compounds. Firstly, to modify traditional MXenes by intercalating, surface decorating and constructing heterostructures. Secondly, to design novel transition-metal compounds beyond MXenes by precisely controlling the atomic structures, proportions and compositions of constituent elements. Moreover, the critical challenges and perspectives for future research on MXene-based materials are also presented.

l-Cysteine-Modified Acacia Gum as a Multifunctional Binder for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

A binder plays an important role in stabilizing the electrode structure and improving the cyclic stability of batteries. However, the traditional binders are no longer satisfactory in lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries because of their failure in accommodating the large volume changes of sulfur and trapping soluble intermediate polysulfides, thus causing severe capacity decay. In this work, we prepared a multifunctional binder for Li-S batteries by merely modifying the acacia gum (AG), a low-cost biomass polymer, with l-cysteine under mild conditions. Owing to the introduced amino and carboxyl branches by the l-cysteine, the modified AG shows enhanced polysulfide trapping ability and can effectively restrain the shuttling of polysulfides. In addition, the introduction of branches can help form a cross-linked 3D network with better mechanical strength and flexibility for adhering sulfur and accommodating the volume changes of cathode materials. As a result, compared with the normally used polyvinylidene fluoride binder and the unmodified AG binder, the l-cysteine-modified AG binder effectively enhanced the rate capability and cycling stability of the Li-S batteries directly using sulfur as the cathode, showing a promising way to prompt the practical use of Li-S batteries.

Stabilizing cathode structure via the binder material with high resilience for lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been considered as one of the most promising next-generation energy storage systems with high-energy density. The huge volumetric change of sulfur (ca. 80% increase in volume) in the cathode during discharge is one of the factors affecting the battery performance, which can be remedied with a binder. Herein, a self-crosslinking polyacrylate latex (PAL) is synthesized and used as a binder for the sulfur cathode of a Li-S battery to keep the cathode structure stable. The synthesized PAL has nano-sized latex particles and a low glass transition temperature (T g), which will ensure a uniform dispersion and good adhesion in the cathode. This crosslinking structure can provide fine elasticity to recover from the deformation due to volumetric change. The stable cathode structure, stemming from the fine elasticity of the PAL binder, can facilitate ion migration and diffusion to decrease the polarization. Therefore, the Li-S batteries with the PAL binder can function well with excellent cycling stability and superior C-rate performance.

Metal complexes driven from Schiff bases and semicarbazones for biomedical and allied applications: a review

Schiff bases are versatile organic compounds which are widely used and synthesized by condensation reaction of different amino compound with aldehydes or ketones known as imine. Schiff base ligands are considered as privileged ligands as they are simply synthesized by condensation. They show broad range of application in medicine, pharmacy, coordination chemistry, biological activities, industries, food packages, dyes, and polymer and also used as an O₂ detector. Semicarbazone is an imine derivative which is derived from condensation of semicarbazide and suitable aldehyde and ketone. Imine ligand-containing transition metal complexes such as copper, zinc, and cadmium have shown to be excellent precursors for synthesis of metal or metal chalcogenide nanoparticles. In recent years, the researchers have attracted enormous attention toward Schiff bases, semicarbazones, thiosemicarbazones, and their metal complexes owing to numerous applications in pharmacology such as antiviral, antifungal, antimicrobial, antimalarial, antituberculosis, anticancer, anti-HIV, catalytic application in oxidation of organic compounds, and nanotechnology. In this review, we summarize the synthesis, structural, biological, and catalytic application of Schiff bases as well as their metal complexes.

Self-assembled nanostructures in ionic liquids facilitate charge storage at electrified interfaces

Driven by the potential applications of ionic liquids (ILs) in many emerging electrochemical technologies, recent research efforts have been directed at understanding the complex ion ordering in these systems, to uncover novel energy storage mechanisms at IL-electrode interfaces. Here, we discover that surface-active ILs (SAILs), which contain amphiphilic structures inducing self-assembly, exhibit enhanced charge storage performance at electrified surfaces. Unlike conventional non-amphiphilic ILs, for which ion distribution is dominated by Coulombic interactions, SAILs exhibit significant and competing van der Waals interactions owing to the non-polar surfactant tails, leading to unusual interfacial ion distributions. We reveal that, at an intermediate degree of electrode polarization, SAILs display optimum performance, because the low-charge-density alkyl tails are effectively excluded from the electrode surfaces, whereas the formation of non-polar domains along the surface suppresses undesired overscreening effects. This work represents a crucial step towards understanding the unique interfacial behaviour and electrochemical properties of amphiphilic liquid systems showing long-range ordering, and offers insights into the design principles for high-energy-density electrolytes based on spontaneous self-assembly behaviour.

Self-Assembly-Magnetized MXene Avoid Dual-Agglomeration with Enhanced Interfaces for Strong Microwave Absorption through a Tunable Electromagnetic Property

Multilayered microwave absorbers which can provide massive interfaces are highly needed for electromagnetic-wave absorption property enhancement. Meanwhile, how to effectively avoid agglomeration and further widen the absorption band is still a challenge. Herein, accordion-like magnetized MXene/Ni composites were fabricated by the electrostatic self-assembly interaction between multilayer MXene and Ni(OH)₂ nanoplates and subsequent in situ reduction in the H₂/Ar atmosphere. Ni nanoparticles were uniformly distributed without magnetic agglomeration between the multilayered gaps of the adjacent 2D (2 dimension) MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) of MXene/Ni nanocomposites (magnetized MXene), which hold the distinct absorption performance that the reflection loss maximum measures up to -50.5 dB at 5.5 GHz. Moreover, dynamic magnetic response of the magnetized MXene absorber was first researched by the electron holography analysis. The related key mechanism includes the enhanced magnetic loss, less dual-agglomeration (multilayer MXene itself and magnetic agglomeration), and more interfaces and intrinsic defects for related polarization. A broadened absorption bandwidth can further be obtained by changing the mass ratio of MXene to Ni that possesses the widest absorption bandwidth of 5.28 GHz. This work provides a new route for the balance among strong absorption intensity, tunable electromagnetic properties, and wide absorption bandwidth of the MXene-based nanocomposites.

Nile Blue Functionalized Graphene Aerogel as a Pseudocapacitive Negative Electrode Material across the Full pH Range

The pursuit of new negative electrode materials for redox supercapacitors with a high capacitance, boosted energy, and high rate capability is still a tremendous challenge. Herein, we report a Nile Blue conjugated graphene aerogel (NB-GA) as a negative electrode material with excellent pseudocapacitive performance (with specific capacitance of up to 483 F g^-1 at 1 A g^-1) in all acidic, neutral, and alkaline aqueous electrolytes. The contribution from capacitive charge storage represents 93.4% of the total charge, surpassing the best pseudocapacitors known. To assess the feasibility of NB-GA as a negative electrode material across the full pH range, we fabricated three devices, namely, a symmetric NB-GA||NB-GA device in an acidic (1.0 M H₂SO₄) electrolyte, an NB-GA||MnO₂ device in a pH-neutral (1.0 M Na₂SO₄) electrolyte, and an NB-GA||LDH (LDH = Ni-Co-Fe layered double hydroxide) device in an alkaline (1.0 M KOH) electrolyte. The NB-GA||NB-GA device exhibits a maximum specific energy of 22.1 Wh kg^-1 and a specific power of up to 8.1 kW kg^-1; the NB-GA||MnO₂ device displays a maximum specific energy of 55.5 Wh kg^-1 and a specific power of up to 14.9 kW kg^-1, and the NB-GA||LDH device shows a maximum specific energy of 108.5 Wh kg^-1 and a specific power of up to 25.1 kW kg^-1. All the devices maintain excellent stability over 5000 charge-discharge cycles. The outstanding pseudocapacitive performances of the NB-GA nanocomposites render them a highly promising negative electrode material across the entire pH range.

Colloidal Gelation in Liquid Metals Enables Functional Nanocomposites of 2D Metal Carbides (MXenes) and Lightweight Metals

Nanomaterials dispersed in different media, such as liquids or polymers, generate a variety of functional composites with synergistic properties. In this work, we discuss liquid metals as the nanomaterials' dispersion media. For example, 2D transition-metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) can be efficiently dispersed in liquid Ga and lightweight alloys of Al, Mg, and Li. We show that the Lifshitz theory predicts strong van der Waals attraction between nanoscale objects interacting through liquid metals. However, a uniform distribution of MXenes in liquid metals can be achieved through colloidal gelation, where particles form self-supporting networks stable against macroscopic phase segregation. This network acts as a reinforcement boosting mechanical properties of the resulting metal-matrix composite. By choosing Mg-Li alloy as an example of ultralightweight metal matrix and Ti₃C₂T_x MXene as a nanoscale reinforcement, we apply a liquid metal gelation technique to fabricate functional nanocomposites with an up to 57% increase in the specific yield strength without compromising the matrix alloy's plasticity. MXenes largely retain their phase and 2D morphology after processing in liquid Mg-Li alloy at 700 °C. The 2D morphology enables formation of a strong semicoherent interface between MXene and metal matrix, manifested by biaxial strain of the MXene lattice inside the metal matrix. This work expands applications for MXenes and shows the potential for developing MXene-reinforced metal matrix composites for structural alloys and other emerging applications with metal-MXene interfaces, such as batteries and supercapacitors.

Sculpting Liquids with Two-Dimensional Materials: The Assembly of Ti3C2Tx MXene Sheets at Liquid-Liquid Interfaces

The self-assembly of nanoscale materials at the liquid-liquid interface allows for fabrication of three-dimensionally structured liquids with nearly arbitrary geometries and tailored electronic, optical, and magnetic properties. Two-dimensional (2D) materials are highly anisotropic, with thicknesses on the order of a nanometer and lateral dimensions upward of hundreds of nanometers to micrometers. Controlling the assembly of these materials has direct implications for their properties and performance. We here describe the interfacial assembly and jamming of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets at the oil-water interface. Planar, as well as complex, programmed three-dimensional all-liquid objects are realized. Our approach presents potential for the creation of all-liquid 3D-printed devices for possible applications in all-liquid electrochemical and energy storage devices and electrically active, all-liquid fluidics that exploits the versatile structure, functionality, and reconfigurability of liquids.

Energy storage: The future enabled by nanomaterials

Lithium-ion batteries, which power portable electronics, electric vehicles, and stationary storage, have been recognized with the 2019 Nobel Prize in chemistry. The development of nanomaterials and their related processing into electrodes and devices can improve the performance and/or development of the existing energy storage systems. We provide a perspective on recent progress in the application of nanomaterials in energy storage devices, such as supercapacitors and batteries. The versatility of nanomaterials can lead to power sources for portable, flexible, foldable, and distributable electronics; electric transportation; and grid-scale storage, as well as integration in living environments and biomedical systems. To overcome limitations of nanomaterials related to high reactivity and chemical instability caused by their high surface area, nanoparticles with different functionalities should be combined in smart architectures on nano- and microscales. The integration of nanomaterials into functional architectures and devices requires the development of advanced manufacturing approaches. We discuss successful strategies and outline a roadmap for the exploitation of nanomaterials for enabling future energy storage applications, such as powering distributed sensor networks and flexible and wearable electronics.

Promoting Transport Kinetics in Li-Ion Battery with Aligned Porous Electrode Architectures

Developing scalable energy storage systems with high energy and power densities is essential to meeting the ever-growing portable electronics and electric vehicle markets, which calls for development of thick electrode designs to improve the active material loading and greatly enhance the overall energy density. However, rate capabilities in lithium-ion batteries usually fall off rapidly with increasing electrode thickness due to hindered ionic transport kinetics, which is especially the issue for conversion-based electroactive materials. To alleviate the transport constrains, rational design of three-dimensional porous electrodes with aligned channels is critically needed. Herein, magnetite (Fe₃O₄) with high theoretical capacity is employed as a model material, and with the assistance of micrometer-sized graphine oxide (GO) sheets, aligned Fe₃O₄/GO (AGF) electrodes with well-defined ionic transport channels are formed through a facile ice-templating method. The as-fabricated AGF electrodes exhibit excellent rate capacity compared with conventional slurry-casted electrodes with an areal capacity of ∼3.6 mAh·cm^-2 under 10 mA·cm^-2. Furthermore, clear evidence provided by galvanostatic charge-discharge profiles, cyclic voltammetry, and symmetric cell electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirms the facile ionic transport kinetics in this proposed design.

Mesoscopic Architectures Made of Electrically Charged Binary Colloidal Nanosheets in Aqueous System

Inorganic layered materials can be converted to colloidal liquid crystals through exfoliation into inorganic nanosheets, and binary nanosheet colloids exhibit rich phase behavior characterized by multiphase coexistence. In particular, niobate-clay binary nanosheet colloids are characterized by phase separation at a mesoscopic (∼several tens of micrometers) scale whereas they are apparently homogeneous at a macroscopic scale. Although the mesoscopic structure of the niobate-clay binary colloid is advantageous to realize unusual photochemical functions, the structure itself has not been clearly demonstrated in real space. The present study investigated the structure of niobate-clay binary nanosheet colloids in detail. Four clay nanosheets (hectorite, saponite, fluorohectorite, and tetrasilisic mica) with different lateral sizes were compared. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) indicated lamellar ordering of niobate nanosheets in the binary colloid. The basal spacing of the lamellar phase was reduced by increasing the concentration of clay nanosheets, indicating the compression of the liquid crystalline niobate phase by the isotropic clay phase. Scattering and fluorescence microscope observations using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated the phase separation of niobate and clay nanosheets in real space. Niobate nanosheets assembled into domains of several tens of micrometers whereas clay nanosheets were located in voids between the niobate domains. The results clearly confirmed the spatial separation of two nanosheets and the phase separation at a mesoscopic scale. Distribution of clay nanosheets is dependent on the employed clay nanosheets; the nanosheets with large lateral length are more localized or assembled. This is in harmony with larger basal spacings of niobate lamellar phase for large clay particles. Although three-dimensional compression of the niobate phase by the coexisting clay phase was observed at low clay concentrations, the basal spacing of niobate phase was almost constant irrespective of niobate concentrations at high clay concentrations, which was ascribed to competition of compression by clay phase and restoring of the niobate phase.

Electrochemical Actuators Based on Two-Dimensional Ti3C2Tx (MXene)

Electrochemical actuators are devices that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy via electrochemical processes. They are used in soft robotics, artificial muscles, micropumps, sensors, and other fields. The design of flexible and stable electrode materials remains a major challenge. MXenes, an emerging family of 2D materials, have found applications in energy storage. Here, we report an actuator device using MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) as a flexible electrode material. The electrode in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte exhibits a curvature change up to 0.083 mm^-1 and strain of 0.29%. Meanwhile, the MXene-based actuator with a symmetric configuration separated by gel electrolyte (PVA-H₂SO₄) has curvature and strain changes up to 0.038 mm^-1 and 0.26% with excellent retention after 10,000 cycles. In situ X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrates that the actuation mechanism is due to the expansion and shrinkage of the interlayer spacing of MXenes. This research shows promise of this new family of materials for electrochemical actuators.

Electrochemical Behavior of Ti3 C2 Tx MXene in Environmentally Friendly Methanesulfonic Acid Electrolyte

Two-dimensional transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides, called MXenes, have gained much attention as electrode materials in electrochemical energy storage devices. In particular, Ti₃ C₂ T_x has shown outstanding performance in common sulfuric acid (H₂ SO₄ ) electrolyte. In this work, a more environmentally friendly alternative acidic electrolyte, methanesulfonic acid (MSA), is proposed. The energy storage performance of Ti₃ C₂ T_x in aqueous and neat MSA ionic liquid electrolytes is investigated. The specific capacitance of 298 F g^-1 was obtained at a scan rate of 5 mV s^-1 in 4 m MSA and it exhibits excellent cycle stability with retention of nearly 100 % over 10 000 cycles. This electrochemical performance is similar to that of Ti₃ C₂ T_x in H₂ SO₄ , but using a greener electrolyte. In situ X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the intercalation charge storage mechanism. Specifically, the interlayer spacing changes by up to 2.58 Å during cycling, which is the largest reversible volume change observed in MXenes in aqueous electrolytes.

Dual-field-induced biaxial nematic ordering of two-dimensional nanoparticles and enhancement of interparticle interactions

The ordering of 2D biaxial graphene oxide (GO) particles is investigated under the application of orthogonal electric (E) and magnetic fields (B); nematic, antinematic, or biaxial nematic ordering of GO particles is selectively obtained depending on the field conditions. Particularly, a perfect biaxial nematic ordering with the highest birefringence is induced by the dual fields. Unexpectedly, the presence of B enhances the effective polarizability anisotropy, which may attribute to the enhanced steric interparticle interaction. The dual fields induce the microscopic biaxial stacking assembly of GO particles, producing grainy flocs which are not observed in a single-field condition.

Multifunctional Nanocomposites with High Strength and Capacitance Using 2D MXene and 1D Nanocellulose

The family of two-dimensional (2D) metal carbides and nitrides, known as MXenes, are among the most promising electrode materials for supercapacitors thanks to their high metal-like electrical conductivity and surface-functional-group-enabled pseudocapacitance. A major drawback of these materials is, however, the low mechanical strength, which prevents their applications in lightweight, flexible electronics. A strategy of assembling freestanding and mechanically robust MXene (Ti₃ C₂ T_x ) nanocomposites with one-dimensional (1D) cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from their stable colloidal dispersions is reported. The high aspect ratio of CNF (width of ≈3.5 nm and length reaching tens of micrometers) and their special interactions with MXene enable nanocomposites with high mechanical strength without sacrificing electrochemical performance. CNF loading up to 20%, for example, shows a remarkably high mechanical strength of 341 MPa (an order of magnitude higher than pristine MXene films of 29 MPa) while still maintaining a high capacitance of 298 F g^-1 and a high conductivity of 295 S cm^-1 . It is also demonstrated that MXene/CNF hybrid dispersions can be used as inks to print flexible micro-supercapacitors with precise dimensions. This work paves the way for fabrication of robust multifunctional MXene nanocomposites for printed and lightweight structural devices.

Highly Enhanced Pseudocapacitive Performance of Vanadium-Doped MXenes in Neutral Electrolytes

2D titanium carbide (Ti₃ C₂ T_x MXene) is recognized as a promising material for pseudocapacitor electrodes in acidic solutions, while the current studies in neutral electrolytes show much poorer performances. By a simple hydrothermal method, vanadium-doped Ti₃ C₂ T_x 2D nanosheets are prepared to tune the interaction between MXene and alkali metal adsorbates (Li⁺ , Na⁺ , and K⁺ ) in the neutral electrolyte. Maintaining the 2D morphology of MXene, the coexisting V³⁺ and V⁴⁺ are confirmed to form surface V-C and V-O species. At a medium doping level of V:Ti = 0.17:1, the V-doped MXene exhibits the highest capacitance of 365.9 F g^-1 in 2 m KCl (10 mV s^-1 ) and excellent stability (5% loss after 5000 cycles), compared to only 115.7 F g^-1 of pristine MXene. Density functional theory calculations reveal the stronger alkali metal ion-O interaction on V-doped MXene surface than unmodified MXene and a further capacitance boost to 404.9 F g^-1 using Li⁺ -containing neutral electrolyte is reported, which is comparable to the performance under acidic conditions.

Dual-phase nanostructuring of layered metal oxides for high-performance aqueous rechargeable potassium ion microbatteries

Aqueous rechargeable microbatteries are promising on-chip micropower sources for a wide variety of miniaturized electronics. However, their development is plagued by state-of-the-art electrode materials due to low capacity and poor rate capability. Here we show that layered potassium vanadium oxides, K_xV₂O₅·nH₂O, have an amorphous/crystalline dual-phase nanostructure to show genuine potential as high-performance anode materials of aqueous rechargeable potassium-ion microbatteries. The dual-phase nanostructured K_xV₂O₅·nH₂O keeps large interlayer spacing while removing secondary-bound interlayer water to create sufficient channels and accommodation sites for hydrated potassium cations. This unique nanostructure facilitates accessibility/transport of guest hydrated potassium cations to significantly improve practical capacity and rate performance of the constituent K_xV₂O₅·nH₂O. The potassium-ion microbatteries with K_xV₂O₅·nH₂O anode and K_xMnO₂·nH₂O cathode constructed on interdigital-patterned nanoporous metal current microcollectors exhibit ultrahigh energy density of 103 mWh cm⁻³ at electrical power comparable to carbon-based microsupercapacitors.

Aqueous rechargeable microbatteries could enable new microelectronics, but their current electrode materials still suffer from low capacity and poor rate capability. Here the authors show that layered K_xV₂O₅·nH₂O with an amorphous/crystalline dual-phase nanostructure can address these issues.

Iridescence in nematics: Photonic liquid crystals of nanoplates in absence of long-range periodicity

Photonic materials with positionally ordered structure can interact strongly with light to produce brilliant structural colors. Here, we found that the nonperiodic nematic liquid crystals of nanoplates can also display structural color with only significant orientational order. Owing to the loose stacking of the nematic nanodiscs, such colloidal dispersion is able to reflect a broad-spectrum wavelength, of which the reflection color can be further enhanced by adding carbon nanoparticles to reduce background scattering. Upon the addition of electrolytes, such vivid colors of nematic dispersion can be fine-tuned via electrostatic forces. Furthermore, we took advantage of the fluidity of the nematic structure to create a variety of colorful arts. It was expected that the concept of implanting nematic features in photonic structure of lyotropic nanoparticles may open opportunities for developing advanced photonic materials for display, sensing, and art applications.

Ultra-Wear-Resistant MXene-Based Composite Coating via in Situ Formed Nanostructured Tribofilm

Newly emerging two-dimensional (2D) materials of MXenes possess lots of merits, which provide potential solutions for the lubrication issues in harsh conditions. Here, preliminary efforts were devoted to developing an MXene-based 2D composite coating and its antiwear interfacial performance in ambient environments. Macroscale and atomic-scale characterizations were utilized to explore the lubrication behaviors of the composite coating to clarify the influence of the coating composition and tribo-test parameters in the establishment of ultra-wear-resistant sliding interfaces. The results highlighted a unique lubrication mechanism for the 2D MXene composite coating. They suggested that the MXene/nanodiamond coating exhibited almost no wear when rubbed against a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) ball. A nanostructured tribofilm with unprecedented bonding features was in situ formed along the sliding interface. The ultra-wear resistance highly depended on the combined effects of shielding and self-lubrication of PTFE, layer shearing of MXenes, and self-rolling of nanodiamond. These discoveries clearly enrich the 2D material-based lubrication theories and offer technical guidance for designing and exploiting high-performance ultra-wear-resistant materials.

Interfacial Assembly of Ultrathin, Functional MXene Films

MXenes are a prominent family of two-dimensional materials because of their metallic conductivity and abundant surface functionalities. Although MXenes have been extensively studied as bulk particles or free-standing films, thin and transparent films are needed for optical, optoelectronic, sensing, and other applications. In this study, we demonstrate a facile method to fabricate ultrathin (∼10 nm), Ti₃C₂T_x MXene films by an interfacial assembly technique. The self-assembling behavior of MXene flakes resulted in films with a high stacking order and strong plane-to-plane adherence, where optimal films of 10 nm thickness displayed a low sheet resistance of 310 Ω/□. By using surface tension, films were transferred onto various types of planar and curved substrates. Moreover, multiple films were consecutively transferred onto substrates from a single batch of solution, showing the efficient use of the material. When the films were utilized as gas sensing channels, a high signal-to-noise ratio, up to 320, was observed, where the gas response of films assembled from small MXene flakes was 10 times larger than that from large flakes. This work provides a facile and efficient method to allow MXenes to be further exploited for thin-film applications.

3D Printing of Freestanding MXene Architectures for Current-Collector-Free Supercapacitors

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies appear as a paradigm for scalable manufacture of electrochemical energy storage (EES) devices, where complex 3D architectures are typically required but are hard to achieve using conventional techniques. The combination of these technologies and innovative material formulations that maximize surface area accessibility and ion transport within electrodes while minimizing space are of growing interest. Herein, aqueous inks composed of atomically thin (1-3 nm) 2D Ti₃ C₂ T_x with large lateral size of about 8 µm possessing ideal viscoelastic properties are formulated for extrusion-based 3D printing of freestanding, high specific surface area architectures to determine the viability of manufacturing energy storage devices. The 3D-printed device achieves a high areal capacitance of 2.1 F cm^-2 at 1.7 mA cm^-2 and a gravimetric capacitance of 242.5 F g^-1 at 0.2 A g^-1 with a retention of above 90% capacitance for 10 000 cycles. It also exhibits a high energy density of 0.0244 mWh cm^-2 and a power density of 0.64 mW cm^-2 at 4.3 mA cm^-2 . It is anticipated that the sustainable printing and design approach developed in this work can be applied to fabricate high-performance bespoke multiscale and multidimensional architectures of functional and structural materials for integrated devices in various applications.

Weak Intermolecular Interactions in Covalent Organic Framework-Carbon Nanofiber Based Crystalline yet Flexible Devices

The redox-active and porous structural backbone of covalent organic frameworks (COFs) can facilitate high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices. However, the utilities of such 2D materials as supercapacitor electrodes in advanced self-charging power-pack systems have been obstructed due to the poor electrical conductivity and subsequent indigent performance. Herein, we report an effective strategy to enhance the electrical conductivity of COF thin sheets through the in situ solid-state inclusion of carbon nanofibers (CNF) into the COF precursor matrix. The obtained COF-CNF hybrids possess a significant intermolecular π···π interaction between COF and the graphene layers of the CNF. As a result, these COF-CNF hybrids (DqTp-CNF and DqDaTp-CNF) exhibit good electrical conductivity (0.25 × 10^-3 S cm^-1), as well as high performance in electrochemical energy storage (DqTp-CNF: 464 mF cm^-2 at 0.25 mA cm^-2). Also, the fabricated, mechanically strong quasi-solid-state supercapacitor (DqDaTp-CNF SC) delivered an ultrahigh device capacitance of 167 mF cm^-2 at 0.5 mA cm^-2. Furthermore, we integrated a monolithic photovoltaic self-charging power pack by assembling DqDaTp-CNF SC with a perovskite solar cell. The fabricated self-charging power pack delivered excellent performance in the areal capacitance (42 mF cm^-2) at 0.25 mA cm^-2 after photocharging for 300 s.

Highly Ordered Graphene Solid: An Efficient Platform for Capacitive Sodium-Ion Storage with Ultrahigh Volumetric Capacity and Superior Rate Capability

As an emerging type of electrochemical energy storage devices, sodium-ion capacitors (SICs) are potentially capable of high energy density and high power density, as well as low cost and long lifespan. Unfortunately, the lack of high-performance capacitive cathodes that can fully couple with the well-developed battery-type anodes severely restricts the further development of SICs. Here, we develop a compact yet highly ordered graphene solid (HOGS), which combines the merits of high density and high porosity and, more attractively, possesses a highly ordered lamellar texture with low pore tortuosity. As the capacitive cathode of SICs,  HOGS delivers a record-high volumetric capacity (303 F cm^-3 or 219 mA h cm^-3 at 0.05 A g^-1), a superior rate capability (185 F cm^-3 or 139 mA h cm^-3 even at 10 A g^-1), and an outstanding cycling stability (over 80% after 10 000 cycles). The material design and construction strategies reported here can be easily extended to other metal-ion-based energy storage technologies, exhibiting universal potentials in compact electrochemical energy storage systems.

Hollow-structured MXene-PDMS composites as flexible, wearable and highly bendable sensors with wide working range

Although versatile piezoresistive pressure sensors show a great potential as human motion detection and wearable smart devices, it is still an issue to widen their working range and enhance their sensitivity. Herein, hollow-structured MXene-polydimethylsiloxane composites (MPCs) are fabricated by utilizing nickel foam as the three-dimensional substrate for dip-coating of MXene sheets followed by infiltrating of polydimethylsiloxane and etching of the nickel foam substrate. The resultant MPC performs a wide working range with bending angles of 0° to 180°, an excellent long-term reliability up to 1000 cycles under the bending angles of 15°, 30° and 150°, and a stable durability with a bending angle of 30° in a frequency range from 0.05 to 2 Hz as a bendable piezoresistive pressure sensor, which is attributed to the formation of dense conduction paths due to the interconnection of MXene sheets during the deformation of MPC. The sensor also exhibits an extremely low detection limit of 10 mg for pressure detection. Interestingly, the slippage of adjacent MXene sheets is beneficial for monitoring slight vibration of equipments and detecting subtle human motions. Thus, the MPC sensor could be applied for stereo sound and ultrasonic vibration monitoring, swallowing, facial muscle movement, and various intense motion detections, demonstrating its great potential as wearable smart devices.

Assembling a Natural Small Molecule into a Supramolecular Network with High Structural Order and Dynamic Functions

Programming the hierarchical self-assembly of small molecules has been a fundamental topic of great significance in biological systems and artificial supramolecular systems. Precise and highly programmed self-assembly can produce supramolecular architectures with distinct structural features. However, it still remains a challenge how to precisely control the self-assembly pathway in a desirable way by introducing abundant structural information into a limited molecular backbone. Here we disclose a strategy that directs the hierarchical self-assembly of sodium thioctate, a small molecule of biological origin, into a highly ordered supramolecular layered network. By combining the unique dynamic covalent ring-opening-polymerization of sodium thioctate and an evaporation-induced interfacial confinement effect, we precisely direct the dynamic supramolecular self-assembly of this simple small molecule in a scheduled hierarchical pathway, resulting in a layered structure with long-range order at both macroscopic and molecular scales, which is revealed by small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering technologies. The resulting supramolecular layers are found to be able to bind water molecules as structural water, which works as an interlayer lubricant to modulate the material properties, such as mechanical performance, self-healing capability, and actuating function. Analogous to many reversibly self-assembled biological systems, the highly dynamic polymeric network can be degraded into monomers and reformed by a water-mediated route, exhibiting full recyclability in a facile, mild, and environmentally friendly way. This approach for assembling commercial small molecules into structurally complex materials paves the way for low-cost functional supramolecular materials based on synthetically simple procedures.

Extraordinary Thickness-Independent Electrochemical Energy Storage Enabled by Cross-Linked Microporous Carbon Nanosheets

Two-dimensional carbon-based nanomaterials have demonstrated great promise as electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage. However, there is a trade-off relationship between energy storage and rate capability for carbon-based energy storage devices because of the incrementing ion diffusion limitations, especially for thick electrodes with high mass loading. Herein, we report the cross-linked microporous carbon nanosheets enabling high-energy and high-rate supercapacitors. The as-fabricated microporous carbon nanosheets exhibit an extraordinary thickness-independent electrochemical performance. With the thickness of 15 μm, the as-fabricated carbon nanosheet electrode possesses areal/volumetric/gravimetric capacitance of 895 mF cm^-2/596 F cm^-3/358 F g^-1. Even at a high electrode thickness of 125 μm, the as-fabricated thick electrode presents an ultrahigh areal/volumetric/gravimetric capacitance of 4102 mF cm^-2/328 F cm^-3/328 F g^-1. Furthermore, the as-assembled symmetric supercapacitor delivers an outstanding energy density of 19.2 W h kg^-1 at a power density of 135 W kg^-1 and ultralong cycling stability (capacitance retention of 95% after 180 000 charge/discharge cycles) in an alkaline electrolyte. This work not only provides a facile method for low-cost preparation of carbon nanostructures and high-value utilization of biomass wastes but also offers new insights into rational design and fabrication of advanced electrode materials for high-performance electrochemical energy storage.

Compressible Highly Stable 3D Porous MXene/GO Foam with a Tunable High-Performance Stealth Property in the Terahertz Band

In this work, a three-dimensional (3D) porous MXene/GO foam (MGOF) was successfully synthesized and exhibited an excellent terahertz stealth property covering a whole measurement frequency of 0.2-2.0 THz. This is due to the ingenious assembly of two functional two-dimensional materials that have different advantages. The multiscale micro-nanostructure constructed with the 3D porous MGOF can effectively increase the terahertz scattering and refraction. Furthermore, MXene sheets with high conductivity can enhance the responsiveness to the terahertz wave. By adjusting the content of MXene in the MGOF, it exhibits a maximum reflection loss (RL) of 37 dB with a 100% qualified frequency bandwidth (RL > 10 dB), which is the most outstanding result in the available reference. In addition, the optimal average terahertz RL values of MGOF were up to 30.6 dB, which is 100% higher than the best data presented in previous work. Benefitting from an ultralow density, a high RL value, and a wide bandwidth, the maximum specific average terahertz absorption performance can reach 4.6 × 10⁴ dB g^-1 cm³, which is more than 4000 times that of other materials. In addition, the regulation of the terahertz absorption property through microstructure and morphology control is reported for the first time.

Novel Two-Dimensional Magnetic Titanium Carbide for Methylene Blue Removal over a Wide pH Range: Insight into Removal Performance and Mechanism

Two-dimensional (2D) layer-structured titanium carbide MXenes (e.g., 2D Ti₃C₂ MXene) have received tremendous attention owing to their excellent properties and unique 2D planar topology. Nevertheless, there are still several challenges to be addressed for well dispersibility and easy separation from a heterogeneous system, hindering the practical applications. Herein, 2D Ti₃C₂ MXene, as the most typical member of 2D MXenes, is functionalized with magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles via an in situ growth approach (designated as MXene@Fe₃O₄), which exhibits the intriguing phenomenon on methylene blue (MB) adsorption in the environmental remediation realm. The maximum adsorption capacity of the MXene@Fe₃O₄ composites for MB is calculated to be 11.68 mg·g^-1 by a Langmuir isotherm model. A thermodynamic study of the adsorption demonstrates that the reaction process is exothermic and entropy-driven. Attractively, the removal process is a pH-independent process, and the optimal MB adsorption capacity is achieved at pH = 3 or 11, which is ascribed to electrostatic interactions and the hydrogen bond effect. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculation results reveal that the adsorption process is based on a combination of Ti-OH···N bonding, electrostatic attraction, and reductivity. Furthermore, multiple cycle runs demonstrate an excellent stability and reusability of MXene@Fe₃O₄ composites. This study provides a promising approach for the alternative removal of MB and broadens the potential application of 2D MXene for the treatment of practical acidic or alkaline wastewater.

Mechanically strong MXene/Kevlar nanofiber composite membranes as high-performance nanofluidic osmotic power generators

Two-dimensional nanofluidic channels are emerging candidates for capturing osmotic energy from salinity gradients. However, present two-dimensional nanofluidic architectures are generally constructed by simple stacking of pristine nanosheets with insufficient charge densities, and exhibit low-efficiency transport dynamics, consequently resulting in undesirable power densities (<1 W m^-2). Here we demonstrate MXene/Kevlar nanofiber composite membranes as high-performance nanofluidic osmotic power generators. By mixing river water and sea water, the power density can achieve a value of approximately 4.1 W m^-2, outperforming the state-of-art membranes to the best of our knowledge. Experiments and theoretical calculations reveal that the correlation between surface charge of MXene and space charge brought by nanofibers plays a key role in modulating ion diffusion and can synergistically contribute to such a considerable energy conversion performance. This work highlights the promise in the coupling of surface charge and space charge in nanoconfinement for energy conversion driven by chemical potential gradients.

Polyethylenimine Expanded Graphite Oxide Enables High Sulfur Loading and Long-Term Stability of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries

To realize practical lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) with long cycling life, designing cathode hosts with a high specific surface area (SSA) is recognized as an efficient way to trap the soluble polysulfides. However, it is also blamed for diminishing the volumetric energy density and being susceptible to side reactions. Herein, polyethylenimine intercalated graphite oxide (PEI-GO) with a low SSA of 4.6 m² g^-1 and enlarged interlayer spacing of 13 Å is proposed as a superior sulfur host, which enables homogeneous distribution of high sulfur content (73%) and facilitates Li⁺ transfer in thick sulfur electrode. LSBs with a moderate sulfur loading (3.4 mg S cm^-2 ) achieve an initial capacity of 1157 and 668 mAh g^-1 after 500 cycles at 0.5 C. Even when the sulfur loading is increased to 7.3 mg cm^-2 , the electrode still delivers a high areal capacity of 4.7 mAh cm^-2 (641 mAh g^-1 ) after 200 cycles at 0.2 C. The excellent electrochemical properties of PEI-GO are mainly attributed to the homogeneous distribution of sulfur in PEI-GO and the strong chemical interactions between polysulfides and amine groups, which can mitigate the loss of active phases and contribute to the better cycling stability.

Leaf-inspired multiresponsive MXene-based actuator for programmable smart devices

Natural leaves, with elaborate architectures and functional components, harvest and convert solar energy into chemical fuels that can be converted into energy based on photosynthesis. The energy produced leads to work done that inspired many autonomous systems such as light-triggered motion. On the basis of this nature-inspired phenomenon, we report an unprecedented bilayer-structured actuator based on MXene (Ti3C2T x )-cellulose composites (MXCC) and polycarbonate membrane, which mimic not only the sophisticated leaf structure but also the energy-harvesting and conversion capabilities. The bilayer actuator features multiresponsiveness, low-power actuation, fast actuation speed, large-shape deformation, programmable adaptability, robust stability, and low-cost facile fabrication, which are highly desirable for modern soft actuator systems. We believe that these adaptive soft systems are attractive in a wide range of revolutionary technologies such as soft robots, smart switch, information encryption, infrared dynamic display, camouflage, and temperature regulation, as well as human-machine interface such as haptics.