MXene coated electrospun polyacrylonitrile as a supercapacitor electrode
Poster Presentation
Authors
1Catalysis and Nanostructured Materials Research Laboratory, School of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11155/4563, Tehran, Iran
2school of engineering science, department of engineering, university of Tehran, Iran
3School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4Chemical Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
MXene, a novel family of two-dimensional transition metal carbides or nitrides, have attracted great interest because of their unique electrical, high charge carrier mobility, flexibility, diverse surface chemistry, thermal, and mechanical properties[1]. Ti3C2Tx, as one of the members of this family, is widely used as electrode materials of supercapacitor due to its good metal conductivity and redox reaction active surface[2]. Flexible energy storage electronics have gained increasing attention in recent years. But the simultaneous acquiring of high volumetric and high areal capacities, as well as excellent flexibility in order to truly implement wearable and portable electronics in practice, remains challenging[3]. In this study at first Ti3C2Tx was produced by the SPS method. Then Ti3C2Tx synthesized by selectively etching aluminum (Al) out of Ti3AlC2 with ∼40 wt % Hydrofluoric acid in 30h at room temperature. Free-standing, highly foldable, and flexible supercapacitor electrodes were fabricated through the coating of Ti3C2Tx (MXene) nanoflakes on electrospun Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fiber networks by shaking and sonication of electrospun PAN in a suitable concentration of MXene colloidal solution until the white electrospun polyacrylonitrile turns to a black color and the maximum amount of MXene flakes stick in the fiber structure. The open structure of the PAN network not only holds the Ti3C2Tx flakes in or on its structure but also increases the flexibility and accessible surface of the active materials, facilitating fast diffusion of electrolyte ions within the electrode. The crystalline structure and morphology of developed nanofibers have been illustrated using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The electrochemical performance of the MXene/PAN composite nanofibers was investigated as a supercapacitor electrode material through Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) studies in a three-electrode system in 3.0 M KCl as the aqueous electrolyte. That shows, this composite fiber exhibits a specific capacitance of about 200 F/g at 2 mVs-1
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