Scalable Manufacturing of Free-Standing, Strong Ti3C2Tx MXene Films with Outstanding Conductivity

Free-standing films that display high strength and high electrical conductivity are critical for flexible electronics, such as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding coatings and current collectors for batteries and supercapacitors. Single Ti3C2Tx flake has been demonstrated to have outstanding Young's modulus and tensile strength, which suggest that Ti3C2Tx is an excellent building block for fabricating strong films. Single Ti3C2Tx flake has been demonstrated to have outstanding Young's modulus and tensile strength, which suggest that Ti3C2Tx is an excellent building block for fabricating strong films. Ti3C2Tx flakes are synthesized by selectively etching aluminum layers from Ti3C2Tx MAX phase and subsequently delaminated into monolayer flakes with the assistance of intercalation agents, such as metal ions and organic molecules. The positive effect of large MXene flakes and ordered orientation on mechanical properties and electrical conductivity is expected to enable the development of a range of applications based on strong and conductive pure MXene films, such as EMI shielding, energy storage and printed electronics.