Engineering Ti₃C₂T _x (titanium carbide) MXene-based composites and emerging applications: a mini review

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Two-dimensional Ti3C2Tx MXene is a versatile material with metallic conductivity and tunable surface terminations.
• Existing reviews predominantly focus on energy storage/conversion applications of Ti3C2Tx MXene composites.
• A comprehensive overview linking synthesis, properties, and applications of Ti3C2Tx MXene is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a fundamental and up-to-date overview of Ti3C2Tx MXene research.
• To emphasize the relationship between synthesis, surface termination control, properties, and performance.
• To guide the rational design and scalable deployment of Ti3C2Tx MXene-based systems.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of various synthesis routes for Ti3C2Tx MXene.
• Analysis of how etching, post-treatment, and delamination regulate surface terminations and defects.
• Integration of experimental observations with density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

• Surface termination groups (-O, -OH, -F) and defect structures critically influence electronic structure, interlayer spacing, hydrophilicity, and charge transport.
• Structure-property relationships govern functional performance in diverse technological applications.
• Correlations between synthesis parameters, surface chemistry, and electronic structure are established.

Conclusions:

• Understanding synthesis-dependent surface chemistry is key to controlling Ti3C2Tx MXene properties.
• Ti3C2Tx MXene shows significant potential in sensing, energy harvesting, water treatment, and biomedical fields.
• This review provides a framework for addressing challenges and advancing Ti3C2Tx MXene applications.