Thermal Stability of MXene: Current Status and Future Perspectives

2D transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (MXene), as an emerging family of 2D nanomaterials, have been justified to possess unusual electrical, chemical and mechanical properties. However, the layered structure of MXene exhibits poor stability at elevated temperatures, which is ascribed to the oxidation induced by defects in transition metal layers and terminations. Therefore, despite the considerable potential of MXene in electric energy storage, sensor technology, and many other fields, its practical application under extreme conditions remains constrained. In recent years, there has been a significant surge in research focused on enhancing the thermal stability of MXene, indicating the increasing interest in high-temperature applications. In this review, the mechanism of thermal degradation of Ti-based, V-based, Mo-based, Nb-based MXene is summarized and discussed respectively. The current status of MXene with double transition metals is also included. Additionally, we organized the advanced progress made in the improvement of the thermal stability into three strategies: modifying surface terminations, introducing ions or molecules, and compositing with other materials. In the end, suggestions and insights are outlined to current challenges in the evaluation and enhancement of MXene at high temperature, which is hoped to inspire further research.