P-doped MoS2/Ni2P/Ti3C2Tx heterostructures for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media

By combining the advantages of doping to change the electronic structure of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), transition metal phosphides, and MXene, we proposed the idea of designing and preparing a new type of composite material, P-doped MoS₂/Ni₂P/Ti₃C₂T_x heterostructures (denoted as P@MNTC), to serve as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst of electrochemical water splitting. The as-prepared P@MNTC heterostructures show a significant HER activity with an overpotential of 120 mV at 10 mA cm^–2 in alkaline electrolyte, with decreasing 105 and 125 mV compared with those of MoS₂ and MXene, respectively. The density functional theory indicates that the P doping and synergy effect of Ti₃C₂T_x can enhance the activation of MoS₂ and thus promote dissociation and absorption of H₂O during HER process. This strategy provides a promising way to develop high-efficiency MoS₂- and Ti₃C₂T_x-based composite catalysts for alkaline HER.     

2D/2D SnO2 nanosheets/Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposites for detection of triethylamine at low temperature

Highly active two-dimensional (2D) nanocomposites have been widely concerned in the field of gas sensors because of their unique advantages and synergistic effects. 2D/2D SnO₂ nanosheets/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites were synthesized by using layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and uniform SnO₂ nanosheets by hydrothermal method. Characterization results show that the SnO₂ nanosheets are well dispersed and vertically anchored on the layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene surface, forming heterogeneous interfaces. Based on the gas-adsorption capabilities and synergistic effects of electronic properties, SnO₂ nanosheets/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites show high triethylamine (TEA) gas-sensing performance at low temperature (140 °C). The sensor responses of the nanocomposites and pure SnO₂ nanosheets to 50 ppm of TEA are 33.9 and 3.4, respectively. An enhancement mechanism for SnO₂ nanosheets/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites is proposed for highly sensitive and selective detection of TEA at low temperature. The combination strategy of two-dimensional metal oxide semiconductor and multilayer MXene provides a new way for the development of cryogenic gas sensors in the future.     

In2O3 nanocubes/Ti3C2Tx MXene composites for enhanced methanol gas sensing properties at room temperature

Highly active two-dimensional (2D) nanocomposites, integrating the unique merits of individual components and synergistic effects of composites, have been recently receiving attention for gas sensing. In this work, In₂O₃ nanocubes/Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanocomposites were synthesized using In₂O₃ nanocubes and layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene via a facile hydrothermal self-assembly method. Characterization results indicated that the In₂O₃ nanocubes with sizes approximately 20–130 nm in width were well dispersed on the surface of layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene to form numerous heterostructure interfaces. Based on the synergistic effects of electronic properties and gas-adsorption capabilities, In₂O₃ nanocubes/Ti₃C₂Tx MXene nanocomposites exhibited high response (29.6%–5 ppm) and prominent selectivity to methanol at room temperature. Meanwhile, the low detection concentration could be reduced to ppm-level, the response/recovery times are shortened to 6.5/3.5 s, excellent linearity and outstanding repeatability. The strategy of compositing layered MXene with metal oxide semiconductor provides a novel pathway for the future development of room temperature gas sensors.     

Synthesis of few-layered Ti3C2Tx/ WO3 nanorods foam composite material for NO2 gas sensing at low temperature

The few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x/WO₃ nanorods foam composite material was synthesized by electrostatic self-assembly and bidirectional freeze-drying technologies. The phase structure and microstructure of synthesized samples was characterized by XRD, FESEM, TEM and their gas sensing properties estimated via a self-designed equipment with four test channels. The results demonstrate WO₃ nanorods were successfully anchored on the surface and between layers of few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene by electrostatic self-assembly strategy and the composite material simultaneously has a low-density foam morphology by means of bidirectional freeze-drying processes. There exists a typical heterostructure at the interfaces owing to the inseparable contact between the few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and WO₃ nanorods. Compared with the original WO₃ nanorods, the few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x/WO₃ nanorods foam composite material displays excellent gas sensing properties for NO₂ detection at low temperature, in particular the optimal value of gas sensing response (R_g/R_a) reaches to 89.46 toward 20 ppm NO₂ at 200 °C. The gas sensing mechanism was also discussed. The increase of gas sensitivity is attributed to a fact that during the reaction process of gas sensing, the excellent conductivity of the few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene provided faster transport channels of free carriers, and the heterojunctions formed by few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and WO₃ nanorods enhanced the carriers separation efficiency. Meanwhile, the low-density layered structure of few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x/WO₃ nanorods foam composite material provides convenient diffusion paths for gas molecules to the surface of WO₃ nanorods.     

Multilayer Ti3C2Tx: From microwave absorption to electromagnetic interference shielding

Ti₃C₂T_x MXene has attracted extensive attention in the field of electromagnetic (EM) protection over recent years. Multilayer Ti₃C₂T_x (M-Ti₃C₂T_x), as an intermediate product of MXene ultra-thin structure, has potential advantages in the field of EM protection. Herein, the M-Ti₃C₂T_x was obtained by HCl/LiF etching Ti₃AlC₂. The microwave absorption (MA) and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of Ti₃AlC₂ and M-Ti₃C₂T_x were compared. The mechanism research of MA and EMI shielding indicates that the construction of local conductive network plays a leading role in the EM wave attenuation. The sample with 30% M-Ti₃C₂T_x display RL_min of ?50.26 dB, and corresponding bandwidth of 4.64 GHz at the thickness of 1.7 mm. Especially, the metastructure based on the EM parameters of M-Ti₃C₂T_x/wax exhibits ultra-wide bandwidth (15.54 GHz). Our research will provide a basis for the design of MXene-based EM protection performance.     

Advanced Ti3C2Tx MXene-modified cement nanocomposites toward high efficiency electromagnetic functional materials for green buildings

The proliferation of electronic devices and wireless communication is leading to serious electromagnetic (EM) interference. In this work, Ti₃C₂/cement composites were developed as high efficiency EM functional materials by introducing exfoliated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene with cement for green buildings with EM shielding function. In the composites, few-layered Ti₃C₂ MXene were dispersed homogeneously throughout the cement matrix. The EM properties of the composites were studied as a function of the MXene content. With increasing MXene content, real and imaginary part of permittivity was significantly improved owing to the polarization and electrical conduction caused by the MXene phase. Composites with 15 wt.% MXene showed good EM absorbing properties with a maximum effective absorbing bandwidth of 2.67 GHz. Strong EM shielding can be achieved when MXene content increased to 25 wt.%. The EM shielding effectiveness of such composites was higher than 22.0 dB, and the dominating shielding mechanism was EM absorption. This work finds new materials for the development of advanced green buildings with EM shielding function.     

Fabrication of urchin-like ZnO-MXene nanocomposites for high-performance electromagnetic absorption

The recently developed two-dimensional transition metal carbides (such as MXene) have shown amazing electrical properties. MXene and derivative two dimensional (2D) materials are widely used in electron devices, and have large potential application in electromagnetic (EM) absorber. Herein we describe a mild method to prepare an urchin-like ZnO-MXene Ti₃C₂T_x nanocomposite through a coprecipitation process. The nanocomposite delivers a substantially enhanced EM absorbing performance with an optimum reflection loss of −26.30 dB, which is significantly better than that of primitive Ti₃C₂T_x (−6.70 dB), owing to the construction of unique semiconductive networks and larger interfaces. The EM absorption performance can be effectively controlled in the range of 14.0–18.0 bands by changing the growth time of ZnO. Considering the large amount of members in MXene, this study demonstrates a new strategy applicable in maximizing their applications in EM absorbing materials.     

Ti3C2Tx aerogel with 1D unidirectional channels for high mass loading supercapacitor electrodes

As one of the typical MXenes materials, 2D Ti₃C₂T_x has attracted extensive attention in the field of energy storage. However, due to the restacking problem of Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets, the electrochemical performance of Ti₃C₂T_x is unsatisfactory. In this paper, a scheme is proposed to obtain 3D aerogel with 1D channels by directional freeze drying of Ti₃C₂T_x. With the help of the unidirectional channels, the 3D Ti₃C₂T_x/Sodium alginate (SA) aerogel can effectively solve the stacking problem of Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets, and it also accelerates the diffusion of ions. The Ti₃C₂T_x/SA-5 electrode can still reach the mass capacitance of 284.5 F g^?1 and the areal capacitance of 4030.4 mF cm^?2 at 2 mV s^?1 when the loading is 14.2 mg cm^?2 in 1 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. In addition, the electrode showed good cycling performance without capacitor degradation after 20,000 cycles at 50 mV s^?1. These results suggest that by using the strategy of building special 3D structure of 2D MXene with 1D unidirectional channels, high performance supercapacitor electrodes with high mass loading can be realized.     

Fabrication of PANI@Ti3C2Tx/PVA hydrogel composite as flexible supercapacitor electrode with good electrochemical performance

Developing a new strategy to effectively prevent the restacking of MXene nanosheets will have significant impacts on designing flexible supercapacitor electrodes. Herein, a novel Ti₃C₂T_x/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) porous sponge with 3D interconnected structures is prepared by sol-gel and freeze-dried methods. This Ti₃C₂T_x/PVA porous sponge is used as the template of in-situ polyaniline (PANI) polymerization, and the fabricated PANI@Ti₃C₂T_x/PVA hydrogel composite is applied as flexible supercapacitors electrodes. 1D conductive polymer chains PVA could increase the interlayer spacing of Ti₃C₂T_x nanosheets, which is beneficial to expose more electrochemical active sites. The supercapacitor based on PANI@Ti₃C₂T_x/PVA hydrogel composite exhibits the coexistence of double-layer capacitance and pseudocapacitance behavior. This supercapacitor shows a maximum areal specific capacitance of 103.8 mF cm^?2 at 2 A m^?2, and it also exhibits a maximum energy density of 9.2 μWh·cm^?2 and an optimum power density of 800 μW cm^?2. The capacitance of this supercapacitor is almost not change under different bending angles. Moreover, 99% capacitance retention is achieved after 10 000 charge/discharge cycles of the supercapacitor. The synergistic effect between PANI and Ti₃C₂T_x/PVA composite may improve the number of reactive sites and provide efficient channels for ion diffusion/electron transport.     

Scavenging activity and reaction mechanism of Ti3C2Tx MXene as a novel free radical scavenger

A novel free radical scavenger, multi-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (ML-Ti₃C₂T_x), has been studied by evaluating its scavenging activity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH?). It exhibits high scavenging efficiency (95% in 10 min) at low dosage (0.06 mg/mL). Based on the analysis of structure and surface states of ML-Ti₃C₂T_x before and after reaction with DPPH? and a series of comparative experiments, including few-layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (FL-Ti₃C₂T_x), original Ti₃AlC₂, and soluble Ti species derived from ML-Ti₃C₂T_x, the observed high scavenging activity is attributed to the intrinsic reducing property of ML-Ti₃C₂T_x rather than the hydrogen donation ability from surface functional groups. A model is proposed to explain the scavenging mechanism.     

Multi-phase heterostructures of flower-like Ni(NiO) decorated on two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx/TiO2 for high-performance microwave absorption properties

Three-dimensional flower-like Ni(NiO) decorated on two-dimensional Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂ composites were successfully synthesized by an in situ solvothermal reaction, and the electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption performance of the hybrids were explored at 2.00–18.00 GHz. The as-prepared Ni(NiO)/Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂ composites include flower-like Ni(NiO) with uniform distribution on the surface of Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes and part of them get into the space between interlayers. The Ni(NiO)/Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂ composites exhibit a maximum reflection loss (RL) value of ?41.74 dB at 14.96 GHz with the absorber thickness of merely 1.3 mm and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) reaches 3.20 GHz. The outstanding electromagnetic wave absorbing performance can be attributed to the dielectric loss of Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes and multi-phase heterostructures, the magnetic loss of Ni(NiO) and their synergistic loss mechanism. Moreover, the zigzag path formed by flower-like Ni(NiO) also has a great consumption effect on electromagnetic waves by incurring the eddy current under the affect of alternating EM waves. The laminated structure of Ti₃C₂T_x MXenes also dissipates microwaves by offering the space for multiple reflections and scattering. This paper furnished a novel modus for synthesizing original EM wave absorption materials and making the balance among thickness, broad bandwidth, oxidation resistance and light weight, which makes Ni(NiO)/Ti₃C₂T_x/TiO₂ composites a hopeful material for microwave absorption (MA).     

MXene-derived TiC/SiBCN ceramics with excellent electromagnetic absorption and high-temperature resistance

Demand for high-performance electromagnetic (EM) wave absorbing materials with high-temperature resistance is always urgent for application in a harsh environment. In this contribution, two-dimensional material, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, was introduced into a hyperbranched polyborosilazane. After pyrolyzation, the as-prepared TiC/SiBCN ceramics present excellent EM wave absorption in X-band. The TiC nanograins appearing after annealing provide multilevel reflection and interface polarization. Dipole polarization formed at interface defects, in company with interfacial polarization, also makes a great contribution to enhanced EM wave absorption. The TiC/SiBCN nanocomplex prepared with 5 wt% Ti₃C₂T_x MXene possesses a minimum reflection coefficient of −45.44 dB at 10.93 GHz and abroad bandwidth 8.4 and 12.4 GHz, almost covering the entire X-band. Tuning the thickness in the range of 2.35-2.54 mm, the effective absorption band can achieve the entire X-band. And the EM wave absorbing performance has been maintained to a large extent at 600°C with the minimum reflection coefficient of −26.12 dB at 12.13 GHz and the effective absorption bandwidth of 2 GHz. Last but not the least, TiC/SiBCN ceramics offer a good thermal stability in argon as well as in air atmosphere, making it possible to serve in high-temperature detrimental environments. This study is expected to provide a new perspective for the design of high-performance absorbing materials that are able to be used in harsh environments, especially in high temperatures.     

Electrochemical storage mechanism of interstratification-assembled Ti3C2Tx MXene/NiCo-LDHs electrode in alkaline,acid and neutral electrolytes

Different kinds of two-dimensional hybrid electrodes have high theoretical capacitance and energy density. However, the origin of the electrochemical storage mechanism still remains elusive in alkaline, acid and neutral electrolytes. Herein, the interstratification-assembled Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/NiCo-LDHs electrodes were successfully prepared and studied in different electrolytes by in-situ Raman spectroscopy. The results show that H₂O molecules in neutral electrolyte combine with –OH at the end of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene during charging, and debonding occurs during discharge. Similarly, this reaction also occurs in the discharge process with NiCo-LDHs and provides smaller pseudocapacitance characteristics. Although this pseudocapacitance reaction also occurs in acidic and alkaline electrolytes, however, the difference is that the hydrogen ions will promote the electrochemical performance of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and has a certain corrosion consumption effect on NiCo-LDHs, but generally improve the electrochemical performance of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/NiCo-LDHs. Interestingly, the OH^? in alkaline electrolyte can promote the electrochemical performance of NiCo-LDHs, and produce a new electrochemical reaction with –F between the layers of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, which greatly improves the overall electrochemical performance of this hybrid electrodes. As a result, Ti₃C₂T_x MXene/NiCo-LDHs electrodes have the best electrochemical performance in alkaline electrolyte with capacitance of 283 F g^?1, energy density of 14.2 Wh kg^?1 and power density of 3007.1 W kg^?1. This work lays a foundation for the preparation of high-performance two-dimensional hybrid electrochemical energy storage devices.     

Improvement of gas sensing property for two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx treated with oxygen plasma by microwave energy excitation

Two-dimensional layered Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was prepared through hydrothermal etching method with LiF and hydrochloric (HCl) acid. Ti₃C₂T_x was further treated with oxygen plasma activated by microwave energy to obtain the activated Ti₃C₂T_x at different temperatures ranging from 350 °C to 550 °C. The gas-sensing properties of raw Ti₃C₂T_x and Ti₃C₂T_x activated with oxygen microwave plasma were tested toward different volatile organic compounds gases. The results indicated that Ti₃C₂T_x activated at 500 °C exhibited excellent gas-sensing properties at room temperature (25 °C) to 100 ppm ethanol with a value of 22.47, which is attributed to the enhancement of the amount of oxygen functional groups and defects on the MXene Ti₃C₂T_x film, and in turn to lead to more oxygen molecules adsorption and desorption reaction in the active defect sites. The enhancement of ethanol-sensing performance demonstrated that the activated Ti₃C₂T_x possess great potential in gas sensing.     

Ni-MOF/Ti3C2Tx derived multidimensional hierarchical Ni/TiO2/C nanocomposites with lightweight and efficient microwave absorption

Benefiting from its large specific surface area, abundant defects and functional groups, two-dimensional (2D) laminated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene is a kind of electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorber with great potential. However, the impedance mismatch caused by the excessive conductivity, inappropriate permittivity and lack of magnetic loss seriously hinders the application of MXene to EMW absorption. Herein, multidimensional hierarchical Ni/TiO₂/C nanocomposites composed of three-dimensional (3D) hydrangea-like Ni/C microspheres and well-arranged 2D carbon sheets embedded with TiO₂ nanoparticles were successfully fabricated from a Ni-based trimellitic acid framework (Ni-BTC) and Ti₃C₂T_x MXene via facile in-situ solvothermal assembly and annealing processes. As expected, excellent EMW absorption properties were obtained only by changing the annealing temperature. The minimum reflection loss (RL_min) value of -45.6 dB and the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 3.40 GHz (14.6–18.0 GHz) with a layer thickness of only 1.5 mm is obtained by annealing the sample at 700 °C. The outstanding ternary multilayer structure and the optimization of magnetoelectric synergy in impedance matching jointly create its remarkable EMW absorption performance. This work is expected to provide a simple and effective method to design MXene-based EMW absorbing materials possessing high absorption intensity, light weight, wide EAB and thin thickness.     

Tuning the photoluminescence of large Ti3C2Tx MXene flakes

Ti₃C₂T_x MXene has been reported to be a metallic two-dimensional (2D) material with high conductivity, whereas its photoluminescence (PL) mechanism is still under debate. Herein, we demonstrate that large Ti₃C₂T_x MXene flakes exhibit tunable PL under ambient conditions. The as-prepared Ti₃C₂T_x MXene flakes emit blue, yellow-green and red light under different excitation wavelengths. Their PL emission wavelengths redshift as the excitation wavelength changes from violet to red light. Surface modification of the MXenes can further tune the PL peak wavelength into the near infrared region. Using density function theory (DFT) calculations, this excitation wavelength-dependent PL can be correlated to TiO₂ defects that exist on the surface of Ti₃C₂T_x. Our study expounds on the optical properties of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene and is helpful for comprehensively understanding this novel material.     

Co-Catalyst Ti3C2TX MXene-Modified ZnO Nanorods Photoanode for Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting

In order to obtain a high photoelectrochemical performance, co-catalysts loading is the most commonly used way, which can facilitate reactions and suppress the charge recombination. In this paper, a novel composite of ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_X photoanode was fabricated by a facile spin coating of precipitating Ti₃C₂T_X (MXene) flakes onto the surface of ZnO, as co-catalyst for enhanced photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. Under simulated sunlight, the optimum composite of ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_X photoanode showed the photocurrent density as 1.2 mA cm^?2 at 1.23 V_RHE, which is 1.4 times higher than that of pristine ZnO without Ti₃C₂T_X co-catalyst (0.83 mA cm^?2 at 1.23 V_RHE). The ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_X photoanode showed a photoconversion efficiency of 0.32% and maintained a stable photocurrent over 2000s. The Ti₃C₂T_X (MXene) flakes as co-catalyst to promote the charge transfer and accelerates the reaction kinetics in ZnO/Ti₃C₂T_X photoanode. This work delivers a two-dimensional (2D) material Ti₃C₂T_X (MXene) as co-catalyst for enhanced ZnO photoanode PEC water splitting.

     

Sandwich-like preparation of Ti3C2Tx@CoFe@TiO2 nanocomposites for high-performance electromagnetic wave absorption

Electromagnetic wave (EMW) absorbing materials have been widely applied in the fields of military and engineering areas. It is of great significance to develop high-performance EMW absorbing materials. This work assembled the sandwich-like Ti₃C₂T_x based nanocomposites by the microwave-assisted annealing of CoFe-MOF@Ti₃C₂T_x (CFMF@Ti₃C₂T_x) precursors at different temperatures. Results show that, as the heat treatment temperature is 450 °C, the sandwich-like Ti₃C₂T_x@CoFe@TiO₂ nanocomposites present better EMW absorption properties. The minimum reflection loss (RL) value was ?62.9 dB at 17.95 GHz with a thin thickness of 1.2 mm. Moreover, the effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) value was 5.02 GHz (12.74–17.76 GHz) with a thickness of 1.4 mm. The application of microwave-assisted annealing contributed to the formation of CoFe nanoparticles and TiO₂ nanoparticles because of the ultra-fast heating rate. The introduction of the nanoparticles enhanced the multiple polarization, optimized the impedance matching and introduced magnetic loss, leading to the improvement of EMW absorption. When the annealing temperature further increased to 550 °C, the EMW absorbing performance was weakened, which was mainly correlated with the decrement of the interface area due to the increase of the TiO₂ nanoparticle size and CoFe nanoparticle size. Thus, the loss effect of the multiple interface polarization weakens in the EMW absorption. In addition, the high permittivity of Ti₃C₂T_x disappears, which deteriorated the impedance matching and attenuation ability of EMW. Ultimately, sandwich-like Ti₃C₂T_x@CoFe@TiO₂ nanocomposite with satisfactory EMW absorbing properties is established, promising for various EMW absorbing applications.     

Synthesis,characterization and antifungal property of Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets

Although the antibacterial properties of MXene nanosheets containing Ti₃C₂T_x are known, their antifungal properties have not been well studied. Herein, we present for the first time a report on the antifungal properties of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene. The Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was obtained by first exfoliating MAX phase of Ti₃AlC₂ with concentrated hydrofluoric acid, then the Ti₃C₂T_x was intercalated and deliminated by ethanol treatment and ultrasonication process. The delaminated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets (d-Ti₃C₂Tx) were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. It was found that Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was characterized by lamellar structure alternating with layers of Ti, Al and C. The EDX results revealed that the delaminated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets were composed of Ti, C, Si, O, F, and a trace amount of Al. The XRD and Raman spectra further indicated the elimination of Al and the formation of two-dimensional Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets. The antifungal activity of the delaminated Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was determined against Trichoderma reesei using the modified agar disc method. Observation using inverted phase contrastmicroscopy revealed inhibited fungus growth with the absence of hyphae around the discs treated wtih MXene. The surrounding of the control groups without an inclusion of MXene was found with large number of hyphae and spores. In addition, the spores of the fungi treated with the samples containing d-Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets did not germinate even after 11 days of culture. The results demonstrated disruption to the hemispheric structural formation of fungi colony, inhibition of hyphae growth and cell damage for fungi grown on the d-Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets. These new findings suggest that d-Ti₃C₂T_x MXene nanosheets developed in this work could be a promising anti-fungi material.     

Core@shell and sandwich-like Ti3C2Tx@Ni particles with enhanced electromagnetic interference shielding performance

Novel and highly effective electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials are desirable to attenuate unwanted electromagnetic radiation or interference produced by electrical communication devices. Here, functional Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni particles with a core@shell and sandwich like structure were fabricated using the facile electroless plating technique. The core@shell structured Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni consists of a Ti₃C₂T_x core and a Ni shell. In the core, thin Ni layers are sandwiched in between Ti₃C₂T_x flakes. EMI shielding effectiveness (SE) values of Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni/wax composites increased with increasing Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni content. The average EMI SE value of 60 wt% Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni/wax composite was 43.12 dB, increased by 73% as compared with 24.93 dB for the same content of pristine Ti₃C₂T_x in wax in the frequency range 2–18 GHz. An average EMI SE of 74.14 dB was achieved in the 80 wt% Ti₃C₂T_x@Ni/wax. The enhanced EMI shielding performance should be ascribed to the synergic effect of the absorption loss of the Ti₃C₂T_x core and the magnetic loss of the Ni shell and the inner Ni layers.