Study on energy and information storage properities of 2D-MXene/polyimide composites

The memristor is a basic unit of advanced information storage devices. As a passive device, it needs additional bias voltage to drive, which brings great challenges to the development of highly integrated of memristors. Therefore, it is urgent to develop highly reliable functional materials with both resistance memory and electric energy storage properties. Herein, with the introduction of Ti₃C₂T_X nanosheets (TCTNs) into a polyimide matrix, we take the lead in realizing synchronous resistance memory characteristics and energy storage performance in one material system. With the addition of only 0.5 wt% TCTNs, the charge-discharge energy storage density of the polyimide (PI)-based composite increased by approximately 30%, and showed the memristor characteristics. More encouragingly, the composites also exhibited a massive increase in mechanical flexibility and electrical reliability. The slightly ordered arrangement of TCTNs in the PI matrix was confirmed by synchrotron radiation SAXS and HR-TEM. Finite element analysis was used to simulate the redistribution of the stress field and electric field of these composites in the presence of different distribution states of TCTNs. The chemical valence state and the atomic structure of TCTNs in the PI matrix were investigated by synchrotron radiation XAFS technology. DFT calculation models were established to calculate the evolution of the energy band structure of TCTNs during the synthesis process of the composites, determining the synergistic enhancement mechanism of energy storage and information storage properties in TCTNs/PI composites. This study is expected to provide a material candidate of highly integrated and reliable self-powered information storage devices.