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Electronegativity-driven ion kinetics in Ti₃CNTₓ MXene for high-performance electro-ionic soft actuation
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Electronegativity-driven ion kinetics in Ti₃CNTₓ MXene for high-performance electro-ionic soft actuation

Syed Sheraz Ali, Manmatha Mahato, Geetha Valurouthu, Bernd Wicklein, Mousumi Garai, Sokhna Dieng, Yury Gogotsi and Il-Kwon Oh
Sensors and actuators. B, Chemical, v 467, 140532
15 Nov 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.snb.2026.140532
Featured in Collection :   Drexel's Newest Publications

Abstract

Electroactive Energy storage Ionic soft actuator MXene Ti3CNTx
MXene-based electrodes have emerged as promising materials for electro-ionic soft actuators, yet their performance remains largely limited to the extensively studied Ti3C2Tx composition. Here, we introduce Ti3CNTx MXene as a chemically engineered alternative and reveal how nitrogen incorporation fundamentally enhances ion kinetics and actuation behavior. When integrated with PEDOT:PSS (PP), the Ti3CNTx-PP composite electrode demonstrated markedly superior electrochemical performance, achieving an areal capacitance of 562 mF cm⁻²—significantly higher than Ti3C2Tx-PP (204 mF cm⁻²) and pristine PP (159 mF cm⁻²). This enhancement originates from the higher electronegativity of Ti–N bonding, which increases redox-active sites, enlarges interlayer spacing, and accelerates ion diffusion within the MXene framework. Under a low driving voltage of 1 V at 0.1 Hz, the Ti3CNTx-PP actuator exhibited a peak-to-peak displacement of 14.5 mm, outperforming Ti3C2Tx-PP (8.05 mm) and pristine PP (5.5 mm). Frequency- and voltage-dependent actuation tests further confirmed the dominance of Ti3CNTx across all conditions, highlighting its fast ion transport and stronger charge-induced deformation. These findings establish nitrogen-rich Ti3CNTx as a high-efficiency MXene for low-voltage soft actuation and demonstrate electronegativity-driven composition engineering as a powerful strategy for advancing soft robotics, artificial muscles, and next-generation electro-active devices. [Display omitted] •This study reports the first application of Ti₃CNTₓ MXene in soft actuators and demonstrates its superior capacitive and ionic actuation performance compared with conventional Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene.•Detailed post-synthesis chemical, structural, and electrochemical characterizations of Ti₃C₂Tₓ and Ti₃CNTₓ revealed key differences responsible for their distinct actuation behaviors.•The as-prepared Ti₃CNTₓ–PP actuator achieved a peak-to-peak displacement of 14.5 mm under a 1 V AC input, significantly outperforming both Ti₃C₂Tₓ–PP and pristine PP.•These findings highlight the strong potential of Ti₃CNTₓ for high-performance soft actuators, energy-storage devices, and soft-robotics applications.

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