Partially Exfoliated and Oxidized V ₂ CT _x MXene as a Beneficial Support for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical bottleneck in water‐splitting technologies. Hence, developing efficient and stable OER electrocatalysts is one of the key parameters to improve this technology. Recently, MXenes such as Ti 3 C 2 T x and V 2 CT x have shown promise as OER‐enhancing additives when combined with transition metal oxides. However, MXene synthesis requires energy‐intensive processes, and the materials are prone to oxidation in various environments, such as air, or during electrochemical reactions. While this oxidation is typically considered detrimental, this study investigates whether partially exfoliated and oxidized V 2 CT x can maintain or even enhance OER performance, potentially simplifying the synthesis requirements for V 2 CT x . In this study, V 2 CT x is intentionally oxidized and incorporated into CuCo‐based composites at various loadings. X‐ray diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirm the presence of vanadium oxide species in the partially exfoliated and oxidized V 2 CT x . The electrochemical investigations reveal that the partially exfoliated and oxidized V 2 CT x enhances the OER performance compared to fresh V 2 CT x . These findings suggest that, unlike Ti 3 C 2 T x , partially exfoliated and oxidized V 2 CT x retains its functionality in OER catalysis and even outperforms its fresh counterpart, providing a more accessible and efficient platform for water‐splitting applications.