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Nanoconfined Topochemical Conversion from MXene to Ultrathin Non‐Layered TiN Nanomesh toward Superior Electrocatalysts for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Author(s) -
Huang Xia,
Tang Jiayong,
Qiu Tengfei,
Knibbe Ruth,
Hu Yuxiang,
Schülli Tobias U.,
Lin Tongen,
Wang Zhiliang,
Chen Peng,
Luo Bin,
Wang Lianzhou
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.202101360
Subject(s) - nanomesh , tin , electrocatalyst , materials science , nanotechnology , nanoparticle , lithium (medication) , nitride , graphitic carbon nitride , titanium nitride , carbon fibers , electrode , chemical engineering , graphene , catalysis , chemistry , electrochemistry , composite number , layer (electronics) , metallurgy , composite material , photocatalysis , endocrinology , engineering , medicine , biochemistry
2D non‐layered materials (2DNLMs) featuring massive undercoordinated surface atoms and obvious lattice distortion have shown great promise in catalytic/electrocatalytic applications, but their controllable synthesis remains challenging. Here, a new type of ultrathin carbon‐wrapped titanium nitride nanomesh (TiN NM@C) is prepared using a rationally designed nano‐confinement topochemical conversion strategy. The ultrathin 2D geometry with well‐distributed pores offers TiN NM@C plentiful exposed active sites and rapid charge transfer, leading to outstanding electrocatalytic performance tackling the sluggish sulfur redox kinetics in lithium‐sulfur batteries (LSBs). LSBs employing TiN NM@C electrocatalyst deliver excellent rate capabilities (e.g., 304 mAh g −1 at 10 C), greatly outperforming that of using TiN nanoparticles embedded in carbon nanosheets (TiN NPs@C) as a benchmark. More impressively, a free‐standing electrode for LSBs with a high sulfur loading of 7.3 mg cm −2 is demonstrated, showing a high peak areal capacity of 5.6 mAh cm −2 at a high current density of 6.1 mA cm −2 . This work provides a new avenue for the facile and controllable fabrication of 2DNLMs with impressive electrocatalysis for LSBs as well as other energy conversion and storage technologies.