Micro-supercapacitors (MCs) are miniaturized energy storage devices that can enhance the performance of wearable health devices, medical implants, wireless sensors, and micro-electromechanical systems due to their fast frequency response, long life cycle, and vast temperature operation. However, to make these MC systems into commercially feasible products, necessary improvements to current MC performance are necessary, primarily in increasing the energy density. Reducing the electrode materials’ dimension is the most effective approach to boost the performance of MCs. Graphene quantum dots (QDs) have already shown improved response over conventional MCs. This work aims to develop QDs from MXene, a class of layered transition metal carbides, carbonitrides or nitrides. These MXene QDs will increase the energy density of MCs by twofold and optimize their electrochemical performance for commercial viability. MXene of an optimized size for QDs will be produced using environmentally friendly etching methods. MXene QDs with different terminations will then be prepared and used as electrodes to fabricate MCs and to evaluate the capacitance and stability. Density Functional Theory (DFT) methods will be used to examine the physical properties of the materials and further understand the experimental results. The MCs that display the best performance will be assembled to study their characteristics further. The research will provide a green synthesis protocol of MXene and accelerate the discovery of optimized MXene QD materials. Moreover, the MXene QD MC devices will have increased energy storage performance and durability, ideally suited for the next generation of wearable health devices and clean energy storage.
Figure 1. Aiping Yu, Professor and University Research Chair. She is the recipient of the prestigious NSERC Steacie Fellowship and RSC Rutherford Medal, as well as listed in the 2022 World’s Top 2% Scientist database published by John Ioannidis at Stanford. Her research mainly focuses on 2D and carbon nanomaterials synthesis and surface tailoring for various applications, including supercapacitors, batteries, CO2 reduction, and polymer composites for EMI shielding and anti-corrosion.
Related Content

Novel Infrared Camera Based on Quantum Sensors for Biomedical Applications
Summary In this project we develop a novel infrared camera with low noise and high detection efficiency for biomedical applications of optical coherence tomography (OCT) using quantum materials. OCT is a technique used to image the back of the eye and allow for the diagnosis of detrimental eye conditions, for e.g., macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy […]
March 13, 2019

Quantum Material Multilayer Photonic Devices and Network
Summary Realizing highly integrated quantum photonic devices on a chip can enable new opportunities for photonic quantum computation. In this project, we explore heterostructures of stacked two-dimensional (2D) materials, such transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) or graphene, combined with optical microcavities as a platform for such devices. 2D materials are extremely thin and flexible, and have […]
December 12, 2019

Free-space Polarization-selective Microcavity based on Chiral Metasurfaces
Summary Developing a new type of Fabry-Pérot cavity that allows improved control of the atoms’ emission into the cavity mode will result in enhancement of the efficiency and fidelity of quantum state transfer from photons to atoms and back. This in turn can be used to improve the performance of quantum networks and repeaters, as […]
September 19, 2019