A strategic review of MXenes as emergent building blocks for future two-dimensional materials: recent progress and perspectives

Abstract

The breathtaking success of MXenes arising from a library of unique and fascinating properties has triggered world-wide research interest and opened up several new directions in understanding the science and technology of two-dimensional materials. This review provides a holistic evaluation of relevant properties across a wide range of MXene families. The key points of modern approaches applied to MXenes are presented with special emphasis to cover their pitfalls, peculiarities and applications. By considering experimental and theoretical studies, we describe the fundamental structure–property–performance inter-relationships with the goal of providing a better understanding of these MXenes at the atomic level. A final note on immediate research needs along with future directions and major challenges in developing these MXenes is discussed.