MXenes—An Emerging Class of 2D Materials for Solar Water Desalination: Feasibility and Recent Advances

Solar water desalination (SWD) is considered to be an effective solution to combat fresh water shortage. Therefore, the selection of suitable solar absorbing materials is essential for researchers to consider. 2D transition metal carbides/nitrides/carbonitrides (MXenes) have aroused significant attention in SWD owing to their hydrophilicity, chemical diversity, and special response to light irradiation. Herein, the MXene materials and their research progress in SWD are objectively reviewed and evaluated. First, the synthesis and properties of MXenes are described in terms of rational design and the problems confront when MXenes are applied in water environment, followed by a summary of the recent advances for MXene materials in the SWD field in three aspects, including their interesting photothermal conversion mechanism, feasibility for use as suitable solar absorbers, as well as the representative works. Finally, challenges and opportunities in MXenes‐based SWD systems for future development are discussed in terms of the cost, stability, hidden dangers in practical applications, and possible additional benefits. This review aims to highlight the benefits of MXene materials for SWD and provides a viable scheme toward the design of efficient MXenes‐based photothermal evaporators.