Electrochemical Performance of Niobium MXenes with Lanthanum

Abstract

MXenes are the newest class of two-dimensional nanomaterials characterized by large surface area, high conductivity, and hydrophilicity. To further improve their performance for use in energy storage devices, heteroatoms or functional groups can be inserted into the Mxenes' structure increasing their stability. This work proposes insertion of lanthanum atoms into niobium-MXene (Nb-MX/La) that was characterized in terms of morphogy, structure, and electrochemical behavior. The addition of La to the Nb-MXene structure was essential to increase the spacing between the layers, improving the interaction with the electrolyte and enabling charge/discharge cycling in a higher potential window and at higher current densities. Nb-MX/La achieved a specific capacitance of up to 157 mF cm-2, a specific capacity of 42 mAh cm-2 at 250 mV s-1, a specific power of 37.5 mW cm-2, and a specific energy of 14.1 mWh cm-2 after 1000 charge/discharge cycles at 50 mA cm-2.