Synthesis and tribological property of Ti3C2TX nanosheets

The highly exfoliated Ti3C2T x nanosheets were synthesized by selective etching of the starting material of Ti3AlC2 using 40 % concentrated HF solution at 65 °C for 5 h. The effect of HF treatment temperature on the exfoliation degree was investigated by characterizing the morphology and microstructure of the Ti3C2T x nanosheets using SEM, XRD, and TEM. The results showed that the exfoliation degree of Ti3C2T x was increased with increasing temperature. The role of the termination groups produced during HF treatment on the exfoliation degree was discussed. The tribological property of the prepared Ti3C2T x nanosheets as additives in PAO8 base oil was measured. The maximum reduction of friction and wear was achieved under additive concentration of 0.8 wt% for the highly exfoliated Ti3C2T x nanosheets. The different effects of Ti3C2T x additives on the average friction coefficient and wear volume were analyzed, respectively.