In-situ surface growth strategy to synthesize MXene@graphdiyne heterostructure for achieving high capacity and desirable stability in lithium-ion batteries

Two-dimensional (2D) heterostructured electrodes, combining graphdiyne (GDY) and MXenes, have exhibited substantial promise in augmenting the mobility of both ionic and electron movement. However, the widespread advancement and industrial utilization have been impeded by intricate manufacturing procedures and insufficient stability. This study introduces a more streamlined, in-situ growth approach for preparing MXene@GDY electrodes, presenting a novel heterostructure. The method simplifies the manufacturing process while enhancing the specific capacity of the electrode and the more stable cycle life of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The resulting electrode exhibited an impressive initial specific capacity of 464.4 mA h g⁻¹, maintaining a high capacity of 492.9 mA h g⁻¹ after 100 cycles at 100 mA current density. More importantly, after 1200 cycles, MXene@GDY showed a capacity of 340.7 mA h g⁻¹, significantly outperforming pure MXene, which only reached 122.3 mA h g⁻¹ at a current density of 1.0 A g⁻¹. The proposed in-situ construction of heterojunction on the MXene surface has demonstrated immense potential for designing high-performance electrode materials which are applicable to LIBs. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.