Mr. Yihao Yan – M.Sc. Candidate
21/12/2025
ZOOM
13:30 - Jerusalem time / 19:30 - Beijing time
Two-dimensional Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene have emerged as highly promising electrode materials due to their excellent conductivity, tunable surface functionality, and mechanical flexibility. However, their electrochemical performance remains limited by unstable surface terminations and interfacial degradation during cycling, as native groups such as –F and –OH can hinder ion transport and limit capacity. Tailoring the surface terminations of Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene is critical for optimizing its electrochemical performance. In this work, a gas-phase diethylzinc (DEZ) treatment is applied to Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene films for the first time to achieve Zn surface functionalization via an atomic surface reaction. This approach directly replaces native –F/–OH terminations with Zn species, thereby tailoring the MXene’s surface chemistry and electrode–electrolyte interface. Consequently, Zn-functionalized MXene electrodes exhibit significantly enhanced electrochemical performance in Li-ion battery, including a more than 80% increase in reversible capacity compared to untreated films, superior rate capability and cycling stability. These findings underscore the critical role of surface termination engineering in MXene electrodes and demonstrate a promising route to optimize the performance of MXene-based energy storage devices.