Recent progress and new perspective of MXene-based membranes for water purification: A review

MXene is a new emerging 2D material which has been extensively studied for its applications in biosensors, energy storage, cancer theranostics, microbiology and electromagnetic interference shielding. In spite of the growing interest in MXenes, there are relatively few studies on MXene-based membranes especially for treatment of water and emerging organic pollutants. Thus, this review aims to provide an up-to-date account on recent progress in MXene-based membranes. This includes MXene synthesis, unique properties, membrane preparation, characterization, and their applications in treating various types of dyes and salts, oil/water emulsion, and emerging organic pollutants. The results demonstrated that antifouling multifunctional MXene based membranes are a promising alternative to graphene-based membranes for water purification applications. Moreover, we also discuss the current research gaps and further perspectives regarding MXene based membranes.