A Laser-Induced Mo2CTx MXene Hybrid Anode for High-Performance Li-Ion Batteries

MXenes, a fast-growing family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides/nitrides, are promising for electronics and energy storage applications. Mo2CTx MXene, in particular, has demonstrated a higher capacity than other MXenes as an anode for Li-ion batteries. Yet, such enhanced capacity is accompanied by slow kinetics and poor cycling stability. Herein, it is revealed that the unstable cycling performance of Mo2CTx is attributed to the partial oxidation into MoOx with structural degradation. A laser-induced Mo2CTx/Mo2C (LS-Mo2CTx) hybrid anode has been developed, of which the Mo2C nanodots boost redox kinetics, and the laser-reduced oxygen content prevents the structural degradation caused by oxidation. Meanwhile, the strong connections between the laser-induced Mo2C nanodots and Mo2CTx nanosheets enhance conductivity and stabilize the structure during charge-discharge cycling. The as-prepared LS-Mo2CTx anode exhibits an enhanced capacity of 340 mAh g(-1) vs 83 mAh g(-1) (for pristine) and an improved cycling stability (capacity retention of 106.2% vs 80.6% for pristine) over 1000 cycles. The laser-induced synthesis approach underlines the potential of MXene-based hybrid materials for high-performance energy storage applications.