Highly Electroconductive and Mechanically Strong Ti3C2Tx MXene Fibers Using a Deformable MXene Gel

Abstract

Self-assembly of two-dimensional MXene sheets is used in various fields to create multiscale structures due to their electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties. In principle, MXene nanosheets are assembled by molecular interactions, including hydrogen bonds, electrostatic interactions, and van der Waals forces. This study describes how MXene colloid nanosheets can form self-supporting MXene hydrogels. Three-dimensional network structures of MXene gels are strengthened by reinforced electrostatic interactions between nanosheets. Stable gel networks are beneficial for fabricating highly aligned fibers because MXene gel can endure structural deformation. During wet spinning of highly concentrated MXene colloids in a coagulation bath, MXene sheets can be transformed into perfectly aligned fibers under a mechanical drawing force. Oriented MXene fibers exhibit a 1.5-fold increase in electrical conductivity (12 504 S cm(-1)) and Young's modulus (122 GPa) compared with other fibers. The oriented MXene fibers are expected to have widespread applications, including electrical wiring and signal transmission.