Molten Salt-Shielded Synthesis(MS^(3))of MXenes in Air

MXenes are two-dimensional transition metal carbides and/or nitrides with unique physiochemical properties and have attracted extensive interest in numerous fields.However,current MXene synthesis methods are limited by hazardous synthesis conditions,high production costs,or difficulty in largescale production.Therefore,a general,safe,cost-effective,and scalable synthesis method for MXenes is crucial.Here,we report the fast synthesis of MXenes in the open air using a molten salt-shielded synthesis(MS^(3))method,which uses Lewis-acid salts as etchants and a low-melting-point eutectic salt mixture as the reaction medium and shield to prevent MXene oxidation at high temperatures.Carbide and nitride MXenes,including Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x),Ti_(2)CT_(x),Ti_(3)CNT_(x),and Ti_(4)N_(3)T_(x),were successfully synthesized using the MS^(3) method.We also present the flexibility of the MS^(3) method by scaling the etching process to large batches of 20 and 60 g of Ti_(3)AlC_(2) MAX precursor in one pot.When used as negative electrodes,the prepared MS^(3)-MXenes delivered excellent electrochemical properties for high-rate Li-ion storage.

Interfacial and Vacancies Engineering of Copper Nickel Sulfide for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction and Alcohols Oxidation Activity

Rational design and construction of highly efficient nonprecious electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction and alcohols oxidation reactions(ORR,AOR)are extremely vital for the development of direct oxidation alkaline fuel cells,metal-air batteries,and water electrolysis system involving hydrogen and value-added organic products generation,but they remain a great challenge.Herein,a bifunctional electrocatalyst is prepared by anchoring CuS/NiS_(2)nanoparticles with abundant heterointerfaces and sulfur vacancies on graphene(Cu_(1)Ni_(2)-S/G)for ORR and AOR.Benefiting from the synergistic effects between strong interfacial coupling and regulation of the sulfur vacancies,Cu_(1)Ni_(2)-S/G achieves dramatically enhanced ORR activity with long term stability.Meanwhile,when ethanol is utilized as an oxidant for AOR,an ultralow potential(1.37 V)at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 is achieved,simultaneously delivering a high Faradaic efficiency of 96%for ethyl acetate production.Cu_(1)Ni_(2)-S/G also exhibits catalytic activity for other alcohols electrooxidation process,indicating its multifunctionality.This work not only highlights a viable strategy for tailoring catalytic activity through the synergetic combination of interfacial and vacancies engineering,but also opens up new avenues for the construction of a self-driven biomass electrocatalysis system for the generation of value-added organic products and hydrogen under ambient conditions.

Electrochemical Lithium Storage Performance of Molten Salt Derived V_(2)SnC MAX Phase

MAX phases are gaining attention as precursors of two-dimensional MXenes that are intensively pursued in applications for electrochemical energy storage.Here,we report the preparation of V_(2)SnC MAX phase by the molten salt method.V_(2)SnC is investigated as a lithium storage anode,showing a high gravimetric capacity of 490 mAh g−1 and volumetric capacity of 570 mAh cm^(−3) as well as superior rate performance of 95 mAh g^(−1)(110 mAh cm^(−3))at 50 C,surpassing the ever-reported performance of MAX phase anodes.Sup-ported by operando X-ray diffraction and density functional theory,a charge storage mechanism with dual redox reaction is proposed with a Sn-Li(de)alloying reaction that occurs at the edge sites of V_(2)SnC particles where Sn atoms are exposed to the electrolyte followed by a redox reaction that occurs at V_(2)C layers with Li.This study offers promise of using MAX phases with M-site and A-site elements that are redox active as high-rate lithium storage materials.

Computational Insights into Charge Storage Mechanisms of Supercapacitors

Computational modeling methods,including molecular dynamics(MD)and Monte Carlo(MC)simulations,and density functional theory(DFT),are receiving booming interests for exploring charge storage mechanisms of electrochemical energy storage devices.These methods can effectively be used to obtain molecular scale local information or provide clear explanations for novel experimental findings that cannot be directly interpreted through experimental investigations.This short review is dedicated to emphasizing recent advances in computational simulation methods for exploring the charge storage mechanisms in typical nanoscale materials,such as nanoporous carbon materials,2 D MXene materials,and metal-organic framework electrodes.Beyond a better understanding of charge storage mechanisms and experimental observations,fast and accurate enough models would be helpful to provide theoretical guidance and experimental basis for the design of new high-performance electrochemical energy storage devices.

Competitiveness of the Kelp Industry Cluster in Rongcheng City,Shandong Province

In order to study the development status of kelp industry in Rongcheng in recent years, the centralization degree of kelp industry clusters and the comparative advantage of kelp industry in Rongcheng, Xiapu and Jinpu from 2010 to 2020 were compared and analyzed by indicators such as location quotient index, industrial agglomeration index, coefficient of concentration, scale advantage index, efficiency advantage index, and comprehensive advantage index, and the deep-seated factors affecting the competitiveness of kelp industry in Rongcheng were analyzed. Meanwhile, measures of improving the competitiveness of the kelp industry cluster in Rongcheng were put forward.

Improvement of mechanical properties and investigation of strengthening mechanisms on the Ti_(3)AlC_(2) ceramic with nanosized WC addition

Ti_(3)AlC_(2) (TAC) has great potential for use as an ablation material in aerospace applications due to its great oxidation/ablation resistance, but its high-temperature strength and thermal shock resistance still have much room for simultaneous improvement under fast temperature variation conditions. Herein, we used Ti_(3)AlC_(2) and WC powders as raw materials and successfully fabricated textured (Ti,W)_(3)AlC_(2) ceramic with small amounts of TiC and Al_(2)O_(3), and room temperature mechanical properties such as flexural strength (1146±46.9 MPa), fracture toughness (11.78±0.44 MPa·m^(1/2)), and hardness (5.81±0.11 GPa) at 5 wt% WC addition were achieved. The high-temperature strength of the ceramic was significantly improved, and better thermal shock resistance from 298 to 1173 K was simultaneously acquired together with the regulation of the elastic modulus, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion coefficient, providing (Ti,W)_(3)AlC_(2) with more possibilities for fast-temperature variation applications. Strengthening and toughening mechanisms were proposed. Scanning transmission electron microscopy high-angle annular dark-field imaging (STEM-HADDF) showed that W randomly replaced the Ti1 and Ti2 sites of Ti_(3)AlC_(2), providing a good reference for establishing crystal models, and further density functional theory (DFT) calculations based on these models indicated a higher fracture energy of (Ti,W)_(3)AlC_(2) along different crystal planes, providing superior resistance to transgranular fracture;a lower mismatch degree of (Ti,W)_(3)AlC_(2)/Al_(2)O_(3) resulted in stronger interface bonding, resulting in greater resistance to intergranular fracture as well as more balanced stress distributions at different interfaces.

Flexible MXene/sodium alginate composite fabric with high structural stability and oxidation resistance for electromagnetic interference shielding

Wearable electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding fabrics with excellent electromagnetic shielding performance,oxidation resistance,and structural stability are highly demanded for the rapid development of electronic devices and wireless communication.MXenes are metallic conductive materials with exceptional EMI shielding properties,but they are prone to oxidation in air and have poor structural stability and durability on fabric substrates.Herein,we present a one-step assembly method to fabricate fabrics coated with MXenes and polymeric sodium alginate(SA)composite(MXene-SA).SA protects MXenes from oxidation and forms a stable interlayer structure by bonding to MXenes.The MXene-SA coated fabrics are breathable and flexible,and have a low sheet resistance of 2.12±0.08Ω/sq and a high EMI shielding performance of 37.05 dB at X-band,which is comparable to the best 42.31 dB.Moreover,the MXene-SA coated fabrics exhibit high structural stability and oxidation resistance under various conditions of sonication disintegration,mechanical abuse,chemical corrosion,and humidity,compared to pure MXenes coated fabrics.We believe that the wearable and high-performance MXene-SA fabrics have great potential for the next generation of ultra-portable and wearable EMI shielding products.

Lithium storage properties of Ti3C_(2)Tx(Tx= F,Cl,Br) MXenes

In this work, Ti3C_(2)TxMXene with-F,-Cl and-Br surface terminations are synthesized and the effect of these halogen terminations on the lithium storage properties is investigated. A maximum Li+storage capacity of 189 m Ah/g is achieved with Ti3C_(2)BrxMXene much higher than Ti3C_(2)Clxand Ti3C_(2)Fxwith 138 m Ah/g and 123 m Ah/g, respectively. Density functional theory(DFT) calculation shows that the adsorption formation energy of halogen atoms on Ti atoms follows the trend of Ti-F > Ti-Cl > Ti-Br, leading to the same trend in the content of terminations on corresponding MXenes. In addition, inevitable exposure of MXene to oxygen causes competition between halogen and oxygen. Theoretical results show Ti3C_(2)BrxMXene has the highest Ti to O ratio and the lowest Ti to Br ratio, the high lithium affinity of O explains the maximum Li-ion storage capacity with Ti3C_(2)BrxMXene. This work shed light on the opportunity for achieving improved lithium storage properties of MXene electrodes by regulating the surface chemistry.

2020 roadmap on two-dimensional materials for energy storage and conversion

Energy storage and conversion have attained significant intere st owing to its important applications that reduce CO2 emission through employing green energy.Some promising technologies are included metalair batteries,metal-sulfur batteries,metal-ion batteries,electrochemical capacitors,etc.Here,metal elements are involved with lithium,sodium,and magnesium.For these devices,electrode materials are of importance to obtain high performance.Two-dimensional(2 D) materials are a large kind of layered structured materials with promising future as energy storage materials,which include graphene,black phosporu s,MXenes,covalent organic frameworks(COFs),2 D oxides,2 D chalcogenides,and others.Great progress has been achieved to go ahead for 2 D materials in energy storage and conversion.More researchers will join in this research field.Under the background,it has motivated us to contribute with a roadmap on ’two-dimensional materials for energy storage and conversion.

Boosting the lithium-ion storage performance of perovskite Sr_(x)VO_(3-δ) via Sr cation and O anion deficient engineering

Perovskite SrVO_(3) has been investigated as a promising lithium storage anode where the V cation plays the role of the redox center,combining excellent cycle stability and safe operating potential versus Li metal plating,with limited capacity.Here,we demonstrate the possibility to boost the lithium storage properties,by reducing the non-redox active Sr cation content and fine-tuning the O anion vacancies while maintaining a non-stoichiometric Sr_(x)VO_(3-δ) perovskite structure.Theoretical investigations suggest that Sr vacancy can work as favorable Li^(+) storage sites and preferential transport channels for guest Li^(+) ions,contributing to the increased specific capacity and rate performance.In contrast,inducing O anion vacancy in Sr_(x)VO_(3-δ) can improve rate performance while compromising the specific capacity.Our experimental results confirm the enhancement of specific capacities by fine adjusting the Sr and O vacancies,with a maximum capacity of 444 mAh g^(-1) achieved with Sr_(0.63)VO_(3-δ),which is a 37%increase versus stoichiometric SrVO_(3).Although rich defects have been induced,Sr_(x)VO_(3-δ) electrodes maintain a stable perovskite structure during cycling versus a LiFePO_(4) cathode,and the full-cell could achieve more than 6000 discharge/charge cycles with 80%capacity retention.This result highlights the possibility to use the cation defective-based engineering approach to design high-capacity perovskite oxide anode materials.