Effect of hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid treatment on the morphology, structure and gamma permeability of 2D MXene Ti3C2Tx electrodes

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2-D) materials have attracted tremendous interest once discovered due to their unique physical and chemical properties. One of the critical application areas of the 2-D materials is the production of electrodes for batteries. The electrodes can be produced in different ways. In the present study, in order to create MXene powders required in the manufacturing of electrodes, several acids and mixing times have been tested. The structural characteristics of these materials have been analyzed by scanning them under electron microscopes (SEM and FE-SEM), using the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method, the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). From these analyses, the morphological changes due to different etching acids and mixing time has been determined and discussed. In addition to the structural characterisation, the gamma radiation absorption properties of MXene electrodes have been examined with the typical experimental setup equipped with 3 x 3 NAI(Tl) detector. The linear and mass attenuation coefficients of them have been determined. The effect of different acid treatments and the mixture times on the gamma absorption properties has also been discussed.