Determination of Hansen Solubility Parameter and In Situ Visualization of Dispersion Stability of Solution-Processed Antimonene

Antimony emerges as one of the interesting monoelemental graphene analogs, having unique properties and a wide range of applications. Among the solution-processing routes, liquid-phase exfoliation (LPE) offers various advantages. However, the choice of solvent greatly influences the exfoliation efficiency. Here, detailed work has been carried out on the LPE of antimony and its dispersion stability. By employing the Hansen solubility sphere method, the Hansen solubility parameters of antimony are determined to be 22.53, 14.03, and 18.31 MPa^1/2, corresponding to the dispersion interactions, polar interactions, and hydrogen bonding interactions, respectively. To further understand the solute–solvent interactions, the stability of the dispersions is investigated both qualitatively and quantitatively using an accelerated centrifuge-based technique employing space-time-resolved extinction profiles (STEP). The sedimentation kinetics of the dispersions are studied using various metrics like instability index, integral extinction, and cumulative sedimentation velocity distribution. Among the solvents studied, isopropyl alcohol, ε-caprolactone, N-methyl pyrrolidone, dimethyl sulfoxide, and ethanol are found to have better dispersion stability. Interestingly, some of the solvents with high dispersion concentrations appear to be relatively less stable. Combining Hansen solubility parameters with stability analysis helped in identifying the efficient solvents for obtaining the stable antimonene dispersions. Furthermore, antimonene nanosheets embedded in the carbon nanotubes matrix are used as anode materials for lithium-ion battery applications. The excellent cyclic stability exhibited by antimonene indicates it to be a promising candidate for next-generation energy storage systems.