Aqueous solution-processed MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) for non-hydrophilic epoxy resin-based composites with enhanced mechanical and physical properties

Herein, MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x)/epoxy composites with homogeneously dispersed Ti₃C₂T_x sheets have been successfully prepared through functionalization of Ti₃C₂T_x, and the effects of Ti₃C₂T_x on mechanical and physical properties of epoxy are studied. It is found that the addition of 0.2 wt% Ti₃C₂T_x leads to increased tensile strength and flexural strength by 51% and 32%, respectively. However, higher filler content of Ti₃C₂T_x causes defects due to agglomeration, which decreases the mechanical properties of the composites. The addition of Ti₃C₂T_x to the epoxy improves the storage modulus because of the reduction in the crosslinking density in the epoxy matrix. Moreover, the glass transition temperatures also decline monotonically with increasing MXene content. Moreover, Ti₃C₂T_x is found to enhance the thermal and electrical conductivities of the epoxy composites, which arouses more enthusiasm for applications in coatings, supercapacitor packaging, 3D printing, and fabrication of multifunctional devices.