Wetting of MXenes and Beyond

Abstract

MXenes are a class of 2D nanomaterials with exceptional tailor-made properties such as mechano-ceramic nature, rich chemistry, and hydrophilicity, to name a few. However, one of the most challenging issues in any composite/hybrid system is the interfacial wetting. Having a superior integrity of a given composite system is a direct consequence of the proper wettability. While wetting is a fundamental feature, dictating many physical and chemical attributes, most of the common nanomaterials possesses poor affinity due to hydrophobic nature, making them hard to be easily dispersed in a given composite. Thanks to low contact angle, MXenes can offer themselves as an ideal candidate for manufacturing different nano-hybrid structures. Herein this review, it is aimed to particularly study the wettability of MXenes. In terms of the layout of the present study, MXenes are first briefly introduced, and then, the wettability phenomenon is discussed in detail. Upon reviewing the sporadic research efforts conducted to date, a particular attention is paid on the current challenges and research pitfalls to light up the future perspectives. It is strongly believed that taking the advantage of MXene’s rich hydrophilic surface may have a revolutionizing role in the fabrication of advanced materials with exceptional features. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]