American Chemical Society, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 14(8), p. 8859-8863, 2016
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MXenes are a recently discovered class of 2D materials with an excellent potential for energy storage applications. Since MXene surfaces are hydrophilic, water molecules may spontaneously intercalate at ambient humidity and significantly influence the key properties of this 2D material. Using complementary x-ray and neutron scattering techniques, we demonstrate that intercalation with potassium cations significantly improves structural homogeneity and water stability in MXenes. In agreement with molecular dynamics simulations, intercalated potassium ions reduce the water self-diffusion coefficient by two orders of magnitude, suggesting greater stability of hydrated MXene against changing environmental conditions.