Emerging MXene/cellulose composites: Design strategies and diverse applications

MXenes have received increasing attention owing to their unique layered structure, excellent electrical conductivity, and abundant terminal groups. Increasingly pioneering work has been devoted to the development of MXene/polymer composites with various design structures and functions. Among them, cellulose, as the most abundant natural polymer material on earth, has attracted worldwide attention for its renewability, low cost, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. The combination of MXene and cellulose compensates for the poor mechanical properties of pure MXene and improves the performance of composite materials. MXene/cellulose composites have fostered further exploration by researchers due to their outstanding mechanical, stability, and electrical properties. In this review article, the preparation process of MXene/cellulose composites is reviewed, followed by a detailed description of their diverse applications, including the fields of electromagnetic shielding, intelligent electronics (actuators, flexible sensor, triboelectric nanogenerator), energy storage, and water treatment. Finally, the future challenges are highlighted and discussed in light of the current progress. The superior performance and multifunctionality of MXene/cellulose composites open up considerable new horizons to explore a variety of applications in the future.