Insight into the mechanism of MXene electrodes in alkali metal batteries

The future growth of alkali metal-based batteries requires an understanding of how ion size affects the exchange mechanisms. In this work, we present a direct, comparative electrochemical study of MXene-based electrodes mechanism vs. lithium (Li+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+) ions using the same electrochemical conditions. This controlled method enables an extensive investigation of the size-dependent interactions between the MXene structure and alkali metal ions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman analysis of TMAOH-treated Ti3C2Tx MXene electrodes show that delamination and cycling alter vibrational modes and the surface chemistry. Voltage profile study reveals diverse storage behaviors: Li+ has a prominent intercalation plateau, Na+ shows intermediate properties, and K+ displays sloping profiles, indicating surface-dominated adsorption. The significant correlation between ionic radius and electrochemical reversibility is shown by long-term cycling data over 300 cycles, which show greater capacity retention and stability for Li+ and progressively lower performance for Na+ and K+. These findings provide new mechanistic insights into MXene–ion interactions and build the foundation for developing MXene-based materials for specific alkali-ion chemistries in next-generation energy storage devices.