Efficient mechanical exfoliation of MXene nanosheets

MXenes family has attracted intense interests owing to their unique physical and chemical features. However, current preparation approaches for MXenes holding complex procedures and strict conditions, time-consuming, as well as low production hinder their further potential applications. Here, we developed an efficient one-step mechanical exfoliation (ECO-ME) method for the rapid and high-yielding of Ti3C2, which offers a dramatic reduction in preparation time compared to conventional methods. The ECO-ME synthetic pathway was then demonstrated as a universal method for Ti2C. The ECO-ME MXenes formed stable colloids in aqueous and dispersed well in seven organic solvents for over 30 days, respectively. In addition, the prepared MXene showed the ability to load several nanoparticles at room temperature for 100% reduction of p-nitrophenol in around 10 min. This study, therefore, offers an efficient, energy conservation and universal method for the preparation of Ti-based MXenes, endowing MXenes with broad application prospects.