Abstract:To enhance the electrochemical reactivity of carbon felt (CF) employed as the negative electrode in vanadium batteries, MXene material (Ti3C2Tx) was synthesized through HF acid etching using Ti3AlC2 as the precursor. Subsequently, Bi2O3 particles were grown on both the interlayer and surface of MXene via a solvothermal method to produce Bi2O3@MXene. Finally, the Bi2O3@MXene/carbon felt electrode was fabricated by impregnating and drawing it onto carbon felt.The microstructure, structural composition, and hydrophilicity of the Bi2O3@MXene/carbon felt electrode were characterized and analyzed using XRD, SEM,XPS,BET surface area analysis, and contact angle measurements.The electrochemical properties of the Bi2O3@MXene/carbon felt electrode, including cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), were evaluated using an electrochemical workstation in conjunction with a three-electrode system.The charge-discharge performance of an asymmetric vanadium battery, utilizing carbon felt as the positive electrode and a Bi2O3@MXene/carbon felt composite as the negative electrode, was thoroughly investigated.The results indicate that the specific surface area of Bi2O3@MXene/carbon felt has increased to 4.93 m2/g, representing a 63.7% enhancement. Additionally, the contact angle of the electrolyte has decreased to 85.7°, reflecting a reduction of 44.7° compared to that of the carbon felt electrode.At a current density of 400 mA/cm2, the energy efficiency of the BMC-C battery attains 71.2%.The BMC-C battery underwent continuous charging and discharging for 500 cycles at a current density of 200 mA/cm2, demonstrating stable battery energy efficiency at approximately 81%.The enhancement of electrochemical and battery performance can be primarily attributed to the growth of Bi2O3 particles both between and on the surface of MXene. This growth improves the hydrophilicity and specific surface area of the electrode, thereby increasing the number of reactive active sites. Furthermore, the excellent cycling stability is ascribed to the inhibition of MXene structure stacking by Bi2O3 particles located between the layers.