MXene-on-Paper Coplanar Microsupercapacitors

Abstract

A simple and scalable direct laser machining process to fabricate MXene-on-paper coplanar microsupercapacitors is reported. Commercially available printing paper is employed as a platform in order to coat either hydrofluoric acid-etched or clay-like 2D Ti3C2 MXene sheets, followed by laser machining to fabricate thick-film MXene coplanar electrodes over a large area. The size, morphology, and conductivity of the 2D MXene sheets are found to strongly affect the electrochemical performance due to the efficiency of the ion-electron kinetics within the layered MXene sheets. The areal performance metrics of Ti3C2 MXene-on-paper microsupercapacitors show very competitive power-energy densities, comparable to the reported state-of-the-art paper-based microsupercapacitors. Various device architectures are fabricated using the MXene-on-paper electrodes and successfully demonstrated as a micropower source for light emitting diodes. The MXene-on-paper electrodes show promise for flexible on-paper energy storage devices.