Recent trends in synthesis of 2D MXene-based materials for sustainable environmental applications

Abstract

The unique properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials have piqued the interest of the technical community. Titanium carbide (MXene) is a member of a rapidly expanding family of 2D materials with exceptional physiochemical characteristics and a wide range of uses in the environmental field. 2D MXene has long been a topic of interest in environmental applications, including wastewater treatment, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, photocatalysis, and hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) due to its high conductivity, varied band gap, hydrophilic nature, and exceptional structural stability. This study covers important developments in 2D MXene and discusses how design, synthetic methods, and stability have changed over time. In this review paper, we have discussed the strategy synthesizing of conventional, affordable heterojunctions and Schottky junctions, as well as the development, mechanisms, and trends in the deterioration of environmental organic contaminants, HER, and EMI Shielding. We also explore the obstacles and restrictions that prevent the scientific community from producing practical MXene with regulated characteristics and structures for environmental applications and analyzing its present usage. The hazardous-environmental aspects of MXene-based materials and the problems and future possibilities of these applications are also examined and emphasized. This review paper focused on environmental applications such as heavy metal detection and removal, EMI shielding, and hydrogen generation using MXenes. The issues related to wastewater, electromagnetic interference, and clean energy production are very persistent in the environment, and a better material is required to address these challenges. Thus, MXene is a kind of material that could be a better alternative to address these persistent issues, and hence, this review becomes very important, which can pave the way for the development of MXene-based materials to address these issues. Graphical abstract

MXene (Ti C Tx) based nanosheet photocatalysts for water remediation: challenges and recent developments

“…Moreover, MXene renderability supports repeated use. Applied in environmental remediation and water treatment, MXene removes radionuclides, promoting cleaner and safer ecosystems [66,67].…”

Review of Ti3C2Tx MXene Nanosheets and their Applications

“…Nanoscale sheet structure enables their stacking in different van der Waals heterostructures to achieve customized set of properties opening avenues for groundbreaking applications. 4,5 MXenes offer distinct advantages over other 2D nanosheets like graphene, including electrical conductivity, tunable surface chemistry for functionalization, superior mechanical properties, enhanced water stability, and promising performance in different energy storage and catalytic applications. 6−8 A large family of early TMCs are included in the 2D material family.…”

“…Exceptional electronic conductivity promises their use in electronics and energy storage applications. Nanoscale sheet structure enables their stacking in different van der Waals heterostructures to achieve customized set of properties opening avenues for ground-breaking applications. , MXenes offer distinct advantages over other 2D nanosheets like graphene, including electrical conductivity, tunable surface chemistry for functionalization, superior mechanical properties, enhanced water stability, and promising performance in different energy storage and catalytic applications. − A large family of early TMCs are included in the 2D material family. An exciting development in newly discovered class of 2D nanosheets is so-called MXenes, M n +1 AX n where “M” = early transition metal, “X” = N or C and n = 1–3; and “A” = Group IIIA/IVA.…”