Hybridizing MXenes with MOFs: a pathway to smart sensing platforms and efficient water remediation

Abstract

The need for the efficient platforms creating innovative applications in the field of sensing, wastewater treatment, and industrial safety has resulted in the development of novel and advanced hybrid materials with unique morphological structures and superior performance. Hybrid nanostructures are being developed with the motive to incorporate advantageous attributes of both and to compensate the weakness of the individual components, thereby improving stability and enhancing the properties and features of both the materials through hybridization effects. Thus, opening the door for their usage in wide variety of applications. MXenes are one of the most rapidly growing family of two-dimensional materials with attractive physical and electrochemical properties such as high electrical and high thermal conductivity, hydrophilicity, enhanced surface mechanism, ease of processability, mechanical flexibility, compositional versatility, and rich surface chemistry. Despite their advantages, certain inherent drawbacks of MXenes, including oxidative degradation, restacking issues, could restrict their utility in various applications. In contrast, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are coordination compounds featuring high surface area, ultra-high porosity, tunable pore size, tunable structure, high density of active sites, high catalytic activity, chemical and thermal stability but with the limitation of poor electrical conductivity. Coalescing the high surface area and porosity feature possessed by MOFs with the excellent electrical conductivity of MXenes allow the formation of hybrid nanostructures with enhanced features and properties. This review aims to provide comprehensive overview of MXene/MOF hybrids in sensing, photocatalysis, and wastewater treatment applications. Finally, the current challenges and future research directions are critically evaluated, providing insights and direction for the efficient design and development of these composites.