Crystallographic Texture Engineering and Property Enhancement of Electrodeposited Ni–Ti3C2TxMXene Nanosheet Composite Coatings

Electrodeposited nickel-based composite coatings are widely used for corrosion protection and wear resistance in engineering applications. Here, Ni–Ti3C2Tx composite coatings were fabricated from a Watts-type electrolyte containing a stable colloidal solution of predominantly single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene nanosheets (2 mg·mL−1). The effect of MXene incorporation on electrodeposition behavior, crystallographic structure, surface morphology, microhardness, and corrosion performance was systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy revealed that Ti3C2Tx nanosheets induce preferential growth along the Ni(200) plane and promote crystallite refinement, leading to a denser and more uniform coating. As a result, microhardness increased by 2.2–2.4 times compared with pure nickel, while corrosion rates in 3.5 wt.% NaCl decreased by 1.75–1.85 times. The enhanced functional properties are attributed to the synergistic effects of crystallographic orientation control, grain size refinement, and the barrier effect of delaminated MXene nanosheets. These findings demonstrate that single-layer Ti3C2Tx MXene is an effective reinforcing phase for nickel-based electrodeposited coatings, offering a straightforward approach to simultaneously optimizing mechanical and corrosion performances for advanced surface engineering applications.