Silver Grafted Ti3C2-Mxene Nanocomposite As Novel Anode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Dependence on fossil fuels for energy is a huge obstacle in the current age due to their unreliability, rising costs, and impact on the environment. The aforementioned issues can be resolved by developing energy storage systems (ESS) such as lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The proposed synthesis focused on the synthesis of Ag-Ti3C2 (Ag-MXene) nanocomposites, which was followed by studying the physical characteristics and electrochemical performance of the material. The MXenes are resistant to oxidation, have outstanding thermal and electrical conductivity, high electrochemical efficiency, composition flexibility, and a large specific surface area. This Ag-Ti3C2 (Ag-MXene) was synthesized by first synthesizing MXene from MAX (M=Ti, A=Al, X=C) using mixed acid method followed by the reduction of silver nitrate. It is challenging to coat Ag nanoparticles due to the narrow space between MXene layers, so an appropriate synthesis route was developed. XRD proved the presence of pure Ag nanoparticles on Ti3C2 layers with sharp peaks showing its crystalline nature. Homogenous distribution of Ag particles of size ≈ 50nm on Ti3C2 and its morphology was illustrated by SEM images. TGA revealed the improvement in thermal stability of Ti3C2 with the use of Ag. Along with this, the electrochemical properties of both Ag-Ti3C2 and Ti3C2 anodes in lithium ion batteries were examined using testing methods such as galvanostatic charge/discharge, cyclic voltammetry, and rate capability. Ag-Ti3C2 nanocomposite outperformed pure Ti3C2, providing greater performance and enhanced cycle efficiency. After 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1C, Ag- Ti3C2 nanocomposite had excellent cyclic stability and a highly reversible potential of around 523 mAhg-1.The rate capability was also improved to up to 180 mAhg-1 at 10C. These beneficial properties were caused by the unique morphology of the proposed material. Furthermore, carefully coated Ag-Ti3C2 and Ti3+ layers produce high conductivity in MXene layers and the Li+ ions can readily diffuse to the electrode through coated MXene layers.