Improving the electrochemical properties of MXene through intercalation of WC and TiC nanoparticles for supercapacitors application

Abstract

Increasing environmental concerns and the global energy crisis have driven the search for clean and renewable energy sources. Electrochemical supercapacitors have emerged as efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy-storage solutions because of their extended cycle life and safety. MXenes, a class of two-dimensional metal carbides, show great promise as supercapacitor electrodes due to their excellent conductivity, hydrophilicity, and high theoretical capacity. However, challenges such as restacking, aggregation, and surface termination impede their electrochemical performance. TiC and WC nanoparticles were intercalated into MXene sheets to form TiC@MXene and WC@MXene hybrid composites to address these issues. This approach mitigates interlayer restacking, increases the number of active sites, and enhances structural stability. The TiC@MXene and WC@MXene composites achieved specific capacitance of 481 and 478 F g- 1 at a current of 1 A g- 1. They demonstrated excellent cycling stability, retaining 95.5 % and 96.3 % of their initial capacitance after 5,000 cycles at 10 A g- 1, respectively. Furthermore, the WC@MXene//AC ASC device exhibited an energy density of 53 Wh kg-1 at 2.25 kW kg-1, with remarkable cycling stability, retaining 97.7 % after 5,000 cycles. These results indicate that the TiC@MXene and WC@MXene hybrid composites are promising candidates for highperformance supercapacitors, providing enhanced energy storage and stability for practical applications.