The transition of MXene research: the map and the gap

Since their discovery in 2011, MXenes have attracted increasing attention as a rapidly developing family of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and nitrides. Their wide range of applications, including energy storage, electromagnetic shielding, sensing, catalysis, and biomedicine, highlights their versatility. However, the explosive growth of publications on MXene has made it increasingly difficult to trace the evolution of the field and systematically identify its intrinsic research gaps. In this review, we provide a comprehensive map of the evolution of MXene research based on large-scale analysis of more than 18 000 publications. The objective is not merely to report the growth size, but also to map and interpret the intellectual structure, collaborative landscape, and thematic progression of MXene science. Although synthesis strategies and energy-associated applications of MXenes dominate the literature, several evolving directions remain comparatively underdeveloped in view of mechanistic depth, large-scale production, and standardization. Thus, we further discuss structural discrepancies and research gaps of MXene, including the predominance of laboratory-scale investigations and the limited integration of safety and lifecycle considerations. Such insights may help the community navigate the next episode of the MXene research story toward both research and technological maturity. Moreover, by visualizing structural gaps, this work attempts to highlight priorities ahead of MXene research enabling engineering of MXene synthesis, properties and performance for desired applications.