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Title: Resolving the structure of Ti3C2Tx MXenes through multilevel structural modeling of the atomic pair distribution function

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials

MXenes are a recently discovered family of two-dimensional (2D) early transition metal carbides and carbonitrides, which have already shown many attractive properties and great promise in energy storage and many other applications. But, a complex surface chemistry and small coherence length have been obstacles in some applications of MXenes, also limiting the accuracy of predictions of their properties. In this study, we describe and benchmark a novel way of modeling layered materials with real interfaces (diverse surface functional groups and stacking order between the adjacent monolayers) against experimental data. The structures of three kinds of Ti3C2Tx MXenes (T stands for surface terminating species, including O, OH, and F) produced under different synthesis conditions were resolved for the first time using atomic pair distribution function obtained by high-quality neutron total scattering. We present the true nature of the material can be easily captured with the sensitivity of neutron scattering to the surface species of interest and the detailed “third-generation” structure model. The modeling approach leads to new understanding of MXene structural properties and can replace the currently used idealized models in predictions of a variety of physical, chemical, and functional properties of Ti3C2-based MXenes. Moreover, the developed models can be employed to guide the design of new MXene materials with selected surface termination and controlled contact angle, catalytic, optical, electrochemical, and other properties. Finally, we suggest that the multilevel structural modeling should form the basis for a generalized methodology on modeling diffraction and pair distribution function data for 2D and layered materials.

Research Organization:
Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport Center (FIRST); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Spallation Neutron Source (SNS)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725; AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1235846
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1286975
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 28, Issue 1; ISSN 0897-4756
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 257 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (46)

Surface Electrochemical Stability and Strain-Tunable Lithium Storage of Highly Flexible 2D Transition Metal Carbides journal September 2018
2D metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) for energy storage journal January 2017
Optimized design for time-of-flight total neutron scattering instrumentation using Monte Carlo simulations with application for the characterization of disordered macromolecules journal March 2019
Influences from solvents on charge storage in titanium carbide MXenes journal March 2019
Effect of mixed surface terminations on the structural and electrochemical properties of two-dimensional Ti 3 C 2 T 2 and V 2 CT 2 MXenes multilayers journal January 2018
Self-Assemble and In Situ Formation of Ni 1− x Fe x PS 3 Nanomosaic-Decorated MXene Hybrids for Overall Water Splitting journal August 2018
Two‐Dimensional Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes): Synthesis, Properties, and Electrochemical Energy Storage Applications journal March 2020
Beyond Graphene Anode Materials for Emerging Metal Ion Batteries and Supercapacitors journal October 2018
Effect of Synthesis on Quality, Electronic Properties and Environmental Stability of Individual Monolayer Ti 3 C 2 MXene Flakes journal November 2016
Interwoven MXene Nanosheet/Carbon-Nanotube Composites as Li-S Cathode Hosts journal November 2016
Surface Modified MXene‐Based Nanocomposites for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage journal May 2019
Promoting Role of MXene Nanosheets in Biomedical Sciences: Therapeutic and Biosensing Innovations journal October 2018
Readiness Level of Sodium-Ion Battery Technology: A Materials Review journal January 2018
MZI‐Based All‐Optical Modulator Using MXene Ti 3 C 2 T x (T = F, O, or OH) Deposited Microfiber journal January 2019
2D Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) as High-Performance Electrode Materials for Lithium-Based Batteries journal September 2018
Adhesion of two-dimensional titanium carbides (MXenes) and graphene to silicon journal July 2019
Hierarchical porous carbons with layer-by-layer motif architectures from confined soft-template self-assembly in layered materials journal June 2017
Investigation of two‐dimensional hf‐based MXenes as the anode materials for li/na‐ion batteries: A DFT study journal February 2019
Synthesis of Two-Dimensional Materials for Capacitive Energy Storage journal June 2016
Unleashing the potential of Ti 2 CT x MXene as a pulse modulator for mid-infrared fiber lasers journal September 2019
On the organization and thermal behavior of functional groups on Ti 3 C 2 MXene surfaces in vacuum journal October 2017
The critical role of point defects in improving the specific capacitance of δ-MnO2 nanosheets journal February 2017
Electronic and Optical Properties of 2D Transition Metal Carbides and Nitrides (MXenes) journal November 2018
Distinguishing electronic contributions of surface and sub-surface transition metal atoms in Ti-based MXenes journal February 2020
Pressure-induced shear and interlayer expansion in Ti 3 C 2 MXene in the presence of water journal January 2018
Pristine Titanium Carbide MXene Films with Environmentally Stable Conductivity and Superior Mechanical Strength journal November 2019
Exploring the microscopic mechanism of pseudocapacitance with electronic structures in monolayer 1T-MoS 2 electrodes for supercapacitors journal January 2019
Control of MXenes’ electronic properties through termination and intercalation journal January 2019
Recent Advances in Layered Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene for Electrochemical Energy Storage journal February 2018
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Nanoscale Elastic Changes in 2D Ti 3 C 2 T x (MXene) Pseudocapacitive Electrodes journal March 2016
Surface Functional Groups and Electrochemical Behavior in Dimethyl Sulfoxide-Delaminated Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene journal October 2018
Two‐dimensional MXenes for lithium‐sulfur batteries journal January 2020
Metallic MXene Saturable Absorber for Femtosecond Mode-Locked Lasers journal July 2017
Effect of surface termination on the lattice thermal conductivity of monolayer Ti 3 C 2 T z MXenes journal August 2019
Highly Conductive Optical Quality Solution-Processed Films of 2D Titanium Carbide journal April 2016
Asymmetric Flexible MXene-Reduced Graphene Oxide Micro-Supercapacitor journal November 2017
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Additive-Free MXene Liquid Crystals and Fibers journal February 2020
pH-Dependent Distribution of Functional Groups on Titanium-Based MXenes journal July 2019
First-Principles Studies of Adsorptive Remediation of Water and Air Pollutants Using Two-Dimensional MXene Materials journal November 2018

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