Hybridization of Ti2SnC with carbon nanofibers via electrospinning for improved lithium ion storage performance

As the precursor of MXenes (2D transition metal carbides, carbon nitrides and nitrides), MAX phase materials have attracted ever-increasing attention in electrochemical applications. In this work, we have successfully hybridized a MAX phase, Ti2SnC, with various ratios of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) via electrospinning. The results show that the Ti2SnC/CNFs compounds possess a stable lithium ion storage ability as an anode material, reaching a stable specific capacity of up to 367.5 mAh·g−1 after 500 charge/discharge cycles at the current density of 1.0 A g−1, which are drastically better than some other MAX phase materials such as Ti3SiC2 and Nb2SnC. This strategy provides a new pathway for the improvement of the electrochemical stability of MAX phase, which has a wide application prospect.