MXene‐Based Fibers, Yarns, and Fabrics for Wearable Energy Storage Devices

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2020-11, Vol.30 (47), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Levitt, Ariana, Zhang, Jizhen, Dion, Genevieve, Gogotsi, Yury, Razal, Joselito M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Capacitance; Devices; Electrical resistivity; Electrochemical analysis; Electrode materials; Electrolytes; Energy storage; energy storage devices; Fabrics; Fibers; Flux density; Materials science; MXene; MXenes; Performance measurement; Supercapacitors; Textiles; wearable devices; Wearable technology; Yarns
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202000739

Textile devices have benefited from the discovery of new conductive materials and innovations in textile device design. These devices include textile‐based supercapacitors (TSCs), encompassing fiber, yarn, and fabric supercapacitors, which have demonstrated practical value in powering wearable devices. Recent review articles have highlighted the limited energy density of TSCs as an important challenge, demanding new electrode materials with higher electronic conductivity and theoretical capacitance than present materials. Ti3C2Tx, a member of the MXene family, is known for its metallic conductivity and high volumetric capacitance in acidic electrolytes due to its pseudocapacitive behavior. Driven by these excellent properties, recent literature has reported promising integration methods of Ti3C2Tx into TSCs with significantly improved areal and volumetric capacitance compared with non‐MXene‐based TSCs. Furthermore, knitted MXene‐based TSCs demonstrated practical application of wearable energy storage devices in textiles. Herein, the techniques used to produce MXene‐based fibers, yarns, and fabrics and the progress in architecture design and performance metrics are highlighted. Challenges regarding the introduction of this new material into fiber/yarn/fabric architectures are discussed, which will inform the development of textile‐based devices beyond energy storage applications. Opportunities surrounding the development of MXene‐based fibers with tunable mechanical, electrical, and electrochemical properties are proposed, which will be the direction of future research efforts. MXenes (2D transition metal carbides and/or nitrides) have emerged as exciting nanomaterials for the development of functional fibers capable of storing energy, sensing deformations, producing heat, and communicating with nearby electronics. This Progress Report highlights the recent progress of MXene‐based fibers, yarns, and fabrics and elaborates on their electrical, mechanical, and electrochemical properties.