Condition optimization for exfoliation of two dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2T x ).

Title Condition optimization for exfoliation of two dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2T x ).
Authors K. Rajavel; T. Ke; K. Yang; D. Lin
Journal Nanotechnology
DOI 10.1088/1361-6528/aaa687
Abstract

The new class of 2D MXene material exfoliated from transition metal carbides receives increasing research interest due to its extraordinary properties and high potential in energy and environmental applications. However, the exfoliation of Ti3C2T x , a widely studied MXene, from its precursor Ti3AlC2 by chemical etching in HF solution remains to be optimized. This study investigated the optimum exfoliation condition through systematic evaluating potential effects of reaction parameters, including the weight ratio of Ti3AlC2 in HF solution, etching time, reaction temperature, repeating etching, and sonication, on the yield, purity, and structure of produced Ti3C2T x . Results show that a high weight percentage (5 wt%) of Ti3AlC2 etching at 50 °C for 36 h produced highly exfoliated MXene material. Etching at lower weight percentages (0.6-2.5 wt%) of Ti3AlC2 resulted in observable byproduct (AlF3). Degradation of MXene layers with AlF3 enrichment was observed under prolonged etching or higher temperatures. Room temperature etching failed to exfoliate Ti3AlC2 and the repeated etching denatured the MXene material. Introduction of controlled sonication during the etching produced highly exfoliated MXene with minimum etching time, which can be a promising alternative for high quality MXene production.

Citation K. Rajavel; T. Ke; K. Yang; D. Lin.Condition optimization for exfoliation of two dimensional titanium carbide (Ti3C2T x ).. Nanotechnology. 2018;29(9):095605. doi:10.1088/1361-6528/aaa687

Related Elements

Titanium

See more Titanium products. Titanium (atomic symbol: Ti, atomic number: 22) is a Block D, Group 4, Period 4 element with an atomic weight of 47.867. The number of electrons in each of Titanium's shells is [2, 8, 10, 2] and its electron configuration is [Ar] 3d2 4s2. Titanium Bohr ModelThe titanium atom has a radius of 147 pm and a Van der Waals radius of 187 pm. Titanium was discovered by William Gregor in 1791 and first isolated by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1825. In its elemental form, titanium has a silvery grey-white metallic appearance. Titanium's properties are chemically and physically similar to zirconium, both of which have the same number of valence electrons and are in the same group in the periodic table. Elemental TitaniumTitanium has five naturally occurring isotopes: 46Ti through 50Ti, with 48Ti being the most abundant (73.8%). Titanium is found in igneous rocks and the sediments derived from them. It is named after the word Titanos, which is Greek for Titans.

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