Exploration of Metal/Ti3C2 MXene-derived composites as anode for high-performance zinc-ion supercapacitor

Following graphene, another two-dimensional transition metal carbide (Ti3C2Tx MXene) with unique properties has been widely used in the field of electrochemical energy storage. However, the inevitable interlayer stacking and agglomeration can easily lead to the limitation of its application. Herein, a three-dimensional metal/Ti3C2 MXene derivative composite material with nanobelt structure was prepared through simple alkalization and metal ion pre-intercalation strategies, which effectively avoids the re-stacking of flakes, while also optimizing the capacitance contribution and energy storage efficiency. In addition, the alkalized MXene-Zn composite (AMX-Zn) can replace traditional zinc foil to optimize the anode of zinc ion capacitors (ZIS). Finally, the ZIS assembled based on AMX-Zn anode and porous carbon (PC) cathode exhibit excellent specific capacity of 75.2 mAh g−1 and energy density of 60.2 Wh kg−1, as well as outstanding initial capacitance retention of 92.5% after 10000 charge-discharge cycles. This work provides an effective strategy for the design of the next-generation high-performance energy storage system and the optimization of the anode electrode of the aqueous zinc ion energy storage device.