The application of traditional electrode materials for high‐performance capacitive deionization (CDI) has been persistently limited by their low charge‐storage capacities, excessive co‐ion expulsion and slow salt removal rates. Here we report a bottom‐up approach to the preparation of a two‐dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene‐polydopamine heterostructure having ordered in‐plane mesochannels (denoted as mPDA/MXene). Interfacial self‐assembly of mesoporous polydopamine (mPDA) monolayers on MXene nanosheets leads to the mPDA/MXene heterostructure, which exhibits several unique features: (1) MXene undergoes reversible ion intercalation/deintercalation and possesses high conductivity; (2) mPDA layers establish redox capacitive characteristics and Na+ selectivity, and also help to prevent self‐stacking and oxidation of MXene; (3) in‐plane mesochannels enable the smooth transport of ions at the internal spaces of this stacked 2D material. When applied as an electrode material for CDI, mPDA/MXene nanosheets exhibit top‐level CDI performance and cycling stability compared to those of the so far reported 2D materials. Our study opens an avenue for the rational construction of MXene‐organic hybrid heterostructures, and further motivates the development of high‐performance CDI electrode materials.
The application of traditional electrode materials for high‐performance capacitive deionization (CDI) has been persistently limited by their low charge‐storage capacities, excessive co‐ion expulsion and slow salt removal rates. Here we report a bottom‐up approach to the preparation of a two‐dimensional (2D) Ti3C2Tx MXene‐polydopamine heterostructure having ordered in‐plane mesochannels (denoted as mPDA/MXene). Interfacial self‐assembly of mesoporous polydopamine (mPDA) monolayers on MXene nanosheets leads to the mPDA/MXene heterostructure, which exhibits several unique features: (1) MXene undergoes reversible ion intercalation/deintercalation and possesses high conductivity; (2) mPDA layers establish redox capacitive characteristics and Na+ selectivity, and also help to prevent self‐stacking and oxidation of MXene; (3) in‐plane mesochannels enable the smooth transport of ions at the internal spaces of this stacked 2D material. When applied as an electrode material for CDI, mPDA/MXene nanosheets exhibit top‐level CDI performance and cycling stability compared to those of the so far reported 2D materials. Our study opens an avenue for the rational construction of MXene‐organic hybrid heterostructures, and further motivates the development of high‐performance CDI electrode materials.
The interest in bioinspired graphene‐based nanocomposites (BGBNs) is rising recently due to their exceptional mechanical properties as well as high electrical conductivities. Numerous works have suggested that the synergistic interfacial design of ionic bonding (IB) co‐working with other interfacial interactions effectively improves the mechanical properties of BGBNs. However, as the ions are conventionally chelated with graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets, the relatively weak and short interlayered IB may hinder the load transfer between GO nanosheets leading to poor synergistic effects. Herein, inspired by the jaw of Glycera, the synergistic effect is further amplified via special IB, which stiffens the organic component. Compared with the traditional IB, the metal–ligand coordinate bonding by copper ions that is used in this work and originates from Glycera, selectively cross‐links the chitosan chains. This Glycera‐inspired synergistic effect strategy boosts record tensile strength to an extraordinary value of 868.6 MPa, five times higher than that of the pure reduced graphene oxide film. The additional high electrical conductivity enables applications in many fields such as flexible energy devices, supercapacitors, and other electronic devices.
In this study, starch extracted from lily bulbs were modified using an ultra‐high pressure (UHP) treatment at six different pressure levels (100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 MPa). The effects of UHP treatment on the physicochemical and morphological properties of lily starch were investigated. The morphological observation revealed that UHP treatment led to particle expansion and aggregation. Compared with the native and lily starch treated at 100–500 MPa, the lily starch treated at 600 MPa exhibited almost completely disrupted morphology and a larger particle size, indicating nearly complete gelatinization of the starch. The relative crystallinity of the UHP‐treated starch remarkably reduced. Gelatinization temperatures via differential scanning calorimetry decreased with increasing pressure. The rapid viscoanalyzer results revealed that the lily starch treated with UHP at 600 MPa showed low values of peak viscosity, trough viscosity, breakdown, final viscosity, and setback. These results indicated that UHP was an effective physical modification method for lily starch, UHP treatment (600 MPa, 30 min) caused nearly complete gelatinization of lily starch, and lily starch modified using UHP might expand the application of lily in the food field.
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