Nano-structure control and properties enhancement of 2D MXene via hybridization with dopamine

Abstract

A family of MXene has drawn big attention as a candidate for energy storage materials such as supercapacitor electrode, battery electrode owing to its high electrical conductivity and hydrophilic surface. However, MXene suffers from weak mechanical strength and oxidation in solution or air. In this work, incorporating mussel-inspired dopamine to MXene film shows successful enhancement in term of alignment of film. Resulting hybrid film shows superior mechanical properties compared to pristine counterpart without losing its metallic conductivity. Interestingly, electrical conductivity is slightly increased because parallel aligning effect reduces inter-flake tunneling distance. Furthermore, oxidation resistance in high temperature is improved, which is attributed to polydopamine layer formed on the surface of MXene flakes physically blocking oxygen. This work shows mechanically durable, electrically conductive and oxidation-resistant film fabrication through facile solution mixing dopamine with MXene, which can be exploited as an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding film applicable to wearable devices or devices under harsh environment.