Novel two-dimensional TiCT MXenes/nano-carbon sphere hybrids for high-performance microwave absorption

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. C, Materials for optical and electronic devices Materials for optical and electronic devices, 2018-05, Vol.6 (21), p.569-5697
• Main Authors: Dai, Binzhou, Zhao, Biao, Xie, Xi, Su, Tingting, Fan, Bingbing, Zhang, Rui, Yang, Rui
• Format: Article
• ISSN: 2050-7526; 2050-7534
• DOI: 10.1039/c8tc01404c

Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes are highly desirable as a microwave absorption material because of their unique two-dimensional (2D) laminated structure, native defects and surface functional groups (-OH and -F). However, the conductivity of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes is too high to meet the requirement of impedance matching, which results in strong reflection and weak absorption. In order to enhance the microwave absorption of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes, a novel 2D laminated structure of Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids is designed and successfully prepared for the first time and the formation mechanism of the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids is discussed. In addition, the obtained 2D Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids exhibit excellent microwave absorption performance, which is mainly attributed to the unique microstructure of the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids, and the formation of a heterogeneous interface structure, which plays an important role in microwave absorption. The Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids exhibit an optimal reflection loss (RL) of −54.67 dB at 3.97 GHz. Thus, the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXenes/nano-carbon-sphere hybrids are expected to be a candidate material for microwave absorption applications. Carbon spheres appeared for the first time during the process of etching Ti 3 AlC 2 using hydrofluoric acid.