Recent Advances in Titanium Carbide MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) Cathode Material for Lithium-Air Battery

As the fossil fuels are running out, the world is advancing toward renewable energy sources and related energy storage technologies. Metal-air batteries have received significant prominence due to their high energy density compared to conventional batteries and fuel cells. Particularly, lithium-air battery has garnered tremendous attention owing to its highest theoretical energy density alongside a large cell capacity. However, technical challenges pertaining to the cathode such as cell voltage drop, carbon electrode corrosion, detrimental side reactions, electrode pore clogging, etc., still persist and hinder their commercial success. So, to improve their overall performance and make them a practical success, various cathode materials are being investigated by researchers around the globe. Nanoengineering of two-dimensional materials is one such subject under extensive investigation, where MXenes have recently emerged as strong candidates with their unique properties such as high hydrophilicity, large interlayer spacing, and high mechanical stability. MXenes with high electrical conductivity and catalytic activity possess a huge potential for applications in energy storage. Over the past few years, more than 30 MXenes with different chemistries have been synthesized for various applications. Yet, titanium carbide MXene (Ti3C2Tx) remains as the most studied MXene, mainly, but not exclusively, for its high electrical conductivity, which makes it a suitable choice for electrode material. This review presents an overview of MXene, its syntheses, and an up-to-date summary from the literature focused on the potential use of TiC MXenes as cathodes in Li-air batteries.