A binder-free electrode based on Ti3C2Tx-rGO aerogel for supercapacitors

MXene, a new two-dimensional (2D) material, has been extensively studied in the field of energy storage. However, the restacking and inferior stability of MXene severely affect their development. Herein, we fabricated a Ti3C2Tx-rGO aerogel through ascorbic acid-assisted hydrothermal treatment. It could effectively reduce the restacking of MXene and enhance the electrochemical properties of electrode material. The redox kinetics of electrode materials were analyzed. The diffusion-controlled process contributions from Ti3C2Tx/rGO-4 were significantly higher than Ti3C2Tx owing to the more exposed active sites after reduced graphene oxide (rGO) intercalation and increased layer spacing. Ti3C2Tx/rGO-4 aerogel binder-free electrode achieved a special capacitance of 313 F g−1 (about 174 % of Ti3C2Tx) at 1 A g−1. Moreover, Ti3C2Tx/rGO-4 symmetric supercapacitor demonstrated an outstanding energy density of 7.5 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 500 W kg−1 when the operated potential was at 1 V, showing a good application prospect.