Generally, intercalation occurs when foreign atoms intercalate into multi-layer structures, while adsorption occurs when foreign atoms interact with monolayer structures or surfaces. We performed an investigation on the Mg intercalation into Ti2C building block (MXene) from first-principles simulation. We found that Mg can favorably intercalate into MXene, forming the stable compound Ti2MgC, which corresponds to the stage I in the Li intercalation into graphite. Based on the evaluation of the average cell potential and the energy barrier of Mg diffusion for the most energetically stable structure, our results suggest that Ti2MgC is a potential anode for Mg ion batteries. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.