0D/2D Fe2O3@few-layer Ti3C2 composite with suppressed restacking and accelerated interfacial kinetics for high-performance sodium-ion storage

MXene is considered an outstanding potential anode material for sodium-ion batteries due to its exceptional electronic conductivity and high specific surface area. Restacking of the nanosheets and insufficient storage capacity nevertheless restrict its practical use. Herein, a 0D/2D Fe 2 O 3 @few-layer Ti 3 C 2 composite was constructed via a simple hydrothermal-calcination strategy by anchoring Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles onto few-layer Ti 3 C 2 nanosheets. The intimate integration of the two components is expected to establish favorable interfacial interactions and thereby modulate the sodium-storage behavior of the composite. The few-layer Ti 3 C 2 framework effectively disperses Fe 2 O 3 , suppresses particle agglomeration, and provides a highly conductive network. Meanwhile, Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles prevent MXene restacking, shorten Na + diffusion paths, and accelerate reaction kinetics. They also contribute additional pseudocapacitive charge storage, enhancing overall capacity. Surface-controlled capacitive processes account for the predominant contribution to charge storage in the composite anode. It delivers a high reversible capacity of 420 mAh g −1 after 300 cycles, with 83% capacity retention. This 0D/2D synergistic design provides a simple and effective strategy to build stable, high-rate MXene-based composite anode electrodes for sodium-ion batteries.