Free-Standing α-MoO_(3)/Ti_(3)C_(2) MXene Hybrid Electrode in Water-in-Salt Electrolytes

While transition-metal oxides such as α-MoO_(3)provide high capacity,their use is limited by modest electronic conductivity and electrochemical instability in aqueous electrolytes.Two-dimensional(2D)MXenes,offer metallic conductivity,but their capacitance is limited in aqueous electrolytes.Insertion of partially solvated cations into Ti_(3)C_(2)MXene from lithium-based water-in-salt(WIS)electrolytes enables charge storage at positive potentials,allowing a wider potential window and higher capacitance.Herein,we demonstrate that α-MoO_(3)/Ti_(3)C_(2)hybrids combine the high capacity of α-MoO_(3)and conductivity of Ti_(3)C_(2)in WIS(19.8 m LiCI)electrolyte in a wide1.8 V voltage window.Cyclic voltammograms reveal multiple redox peaks from α-MoO_(3)in addition to the well-separated peaks of Ti_(3)C_(2)in the hybrid electrode.This leads to a higher specific charge and a higher rate capability compared to a carbon and binder containing α-MoO_(3)electrode.These results demonstrate that the addition of MXene to less conductive oxides eliminates the need for conductive carbon additives and binders,leads to a larger amount of charge stored,and increases redox capacity at higher rates.In addition,MXene encapsulated α-MoO_(3)showed improved electrochemical stability,which was attributed to the suppressed dissolution of α-MoO_(3).The work suggests that oxide/MXene hybrids are promising for energy storage.