Unveiling the tribological potential of MXenes-current understanding and future perspectives

Reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions by improving the tribological performance of mechanical systems relies on the development of new lubrication concepts. Two-dimensional (2D) materials have been the subject of extensive tribological research due to their unique physical and chemical properties. 2D transition metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides (MXenes), with their tuneable chemistry and structure, are a relatively new addition to the family of 2D materials. MXenes' good strength and stiffness, easy-to-shear ability, capability to form wear-resistant tribofilms, and the possibility to control their surface chemistry make them appealing candidates to be explored for tribological purposes. This review provides a comprehensive overview of MXenes' tribology, covering their structure-property relationship, synthesis approaches, deposition methods to generate MXene coatings for tribological purposes, and their fundamental tribological mechanisms. Furthermore, detailed insights into studies exploring MXenes' tribological performance from the nano- to the macro-scale are presented with special emphasis on their use as self-lubricating solid lubricants, lubricant additives, and reinforcement phases in composites.