Title: | Surface Functionalization of Ti(3)C(2)T(x) MXene with Highly Reliable Superhydrophobic Protection for Volatile Organic Compounds Sensing |
Author(s): | Chen WY; Lai SN; Yen CC; Jiang X; Peroulis D; Stanciu LA; |
Address: | "School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States. Birck Nanotechnology Center, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1936-086X (Electronic) 1936-0851 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides (Ti(3)C(2)T(x) MXene) have received a great deal of attention for potential use in gas sensing showing the highest sensitivity among 2D materials and good gas selectivity. However, one of the long-standing challenges of the MXenes is their poor stability against hydration and oxidation in a humid environment, limiting their long-term storage and applications. Integration of an effective protection layer with MXenes shows promise for overcoming this major drawback. Herein, we demonstrate a surface functionalization strategy for Ti(3)C(2)T(x) with fluoroalkylsilane (FOTS) molecules through surface treatment, providing not only a superhydrophobic surface, mechanical/environmental stability but also enhanced sensing performance. The experimental results show that high sensitivity, good repeatability, long-term stability, and selectivity and faster response/recovery property were achieved by the FOTS-functionalized when Ti(3)C(2)T(x) was integrated into chemoresistive sensors sensitive to oxygen-containing volatile organic compounds (ethanol, acetone). FOTS functionalization provided protection to sensing response when the dynamic response of the Ti(3)C(2)T(x)-F sensor to 30 ppm of ethanol was measured over in the 5 to 80% relative humidity range. Density functional theory simulations suggested that the strong adsorption energy of ethanol on Ti(3)C(2)T(x)-F and the local structure deformation induced by ethanol adsorption, contributing to the gas-sensing enhancement. This study offers a facile and practical solution for developing highly reliable MXene based gas-sensing devices with response that is stable in air and in the presence of water" |
Keywords: | MXene gas sensor hydrophobicity silane surface functionalization volatile organic compounds; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINEChen, Winston Yenyu Lai, Sz-Nian Yen, Chao-Chun Jiang, Xiaofan Peroulis, Dimitrios Stanciu, Lia A eng 2020/08/29 ACS Nano. 2020 Sep 22; 14(9):11490-11501. doi: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03896. Epub 2020 Sep 2" |