MXene fibers for electronic textiles: Progress and perspectives

The rapid evolution of portable and wearable electronic devices has fueled the development of smart functional textiles that are able to conduct electricity, sense body movements, or store energy. One main challenge inhibiting the further development of functional textile-based electronics is the lack of robust functional fibers with suitable electrical, electrochemical and sensing functionalities. MXenes, an emerging family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, have shown to be promising candidates for producing functional fibers due to their exceptional electrical and electrochemical properties combined with solution processability. The unique ability of MXenes to readily form liquid crystal phases in various solvents has allowed them to generate additive-free fibers using a wet spinning process. In this work, we review the recent exciting developments in the fabrication of neat MXenes fibers and present a critical evaluation of practical challenges in MXenes processing that influence the macroscale material properties and the performance of the subsequent devices. We also provide our assessment for the future opportunities and challenges in producing MXene fibers to help pave the way for their widespread use in advanced wearable applications.