Recent progress on MXene-polymer nanocomposites and their applications

MXene is a relatively new and exciting class of two-dimensional (2D) materials, following graphene. MXene offers a wide range of compositions of transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides with a range of aspect ratios and a few atomic layer thicknesses, possessing high metallic conductivity and hydrophilic properties. This class of 2D materials has also been gathering huge attention due to its large surface areas and extraordinary functional properties, which make it suitable for advanced applications. Nowadays, MXene-polymer nanocomposites are a hot topic of research, as the abundant functional groups on the surface of MXene make them suitable for composite formation and tuning of physical, mechanical, and chemical properties. The incorporation of polymers can enhance the interlayer distance/spacing, reduce the ion/electron transport, enhance the surface hydrophilicity, and thus guide the assembly of the MXene-polymer composite structure. The 2D MXene-polymer nanocomposite (MXene-polymer NC) has now been studied for over a decade for its vast application prospects like energy storage, sensing, electromagnetic interference shielding (EMI), etc. In this review article, we scrutinized the different synthesis strategies of MXene-polymer composites with their tabulated advantages and disadvantages to provide a better understanding to the readers. This review offers ample categorical documentation based on the various applications of MXene-polymer composites, such as energy, EMI shielding, and biomedical, obtained from different synthetic routes to date, which utilizes thermoplastic, thermosetting, conductive/conjugated and biopolymer/biodegradable polymer matrix. Moreover, some of the latest research in various applications has been tabulated with key performances for comparative analysis. In addition, this manuscript includes valuable information regarding the chemical bonding of MXene-polymer NCs, aspects of composite design, and future prospects. We believe this article will help readers shape their research direction and enhance the quality of the field of 2D MXene-polymer composites.