Fluoride-free synthesis of two-dimensional Mo₂TiC₂ MXene by solvothermal reaction

The dual-transition metal Mo₂TiC₂ MXene shows promising applications in energy storage due to its unique physicochemical properties. However, existing methods for preparing Mo₂TiC₂ MXene often rely on the use of fluorine-containing chemical reagents, leading to environmental pollution and safety hazards. Here, we introduce a novel water-free solvothermal method for etching Mo₂TiAlC₂, successfully eliminating the aluminum atomic layer to obtain accordion-like Mo₂TiC₂ MXene. During the synthesis process, we found that the combined use of ammonium chloride and dimethyl sulfoxide in a water-free environment at 150°C can selectively etch aluminum, providing a new approach for the efficient synthesis of Mo₂TiC₂ MXene. Present research offers a feasible pathway for the environmentally friendly preparation of non-toxic MXene materials, which can further propel the applications and developments of MXene materials in the fields of energy storage and catalysis.