Korean Journal of Materials Research ISSN:1225-0562(Print) 2287-7258(Online) 한국재료학회지

Ti₃C₂T_x MXene, which is a representative of the two-dimensional MXene family, is attracting considerable attention due to its remarkable physicochemical and mechanical properties. Despite its strengths, however, it is known to be vulnerable to oxidation. Many researchers have investigated the oxidation behaviors of the material, but most researches were conducted at high temperatures above 500 °C in an oxidation-retarding environment. In this research, we studied changes in the structural and electrical properties of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene induced by low-temperature heat treatments in ambient conditions. It was found that a number of TiO₂ particles were formed on the MXene surface when it was mildly heated to 200 °C. Heating the material to higher temperatures, up to 400 °C, the phase transformation of Ti₃C₂T_x MXene to TiO₂ was accelerated, resulting in a TiO₂/ Ti₃C₂T_x hybrid. Consequently, the metallic nature of pure Ti₃C₂T_x MXene was transformed to semiconductive behavior upon heat-treating at ≥ 200 °C. The results of this research clearly demonstrate that Ti₃C₂T_x MXene may be easily oxidized even at low temperatures once it is exposed to air.