Evolution of MXene and its 2D heterostructure in electrochemical sensor applications

• Published in: Coordination chemistry reviews 2022-11, Vol.471, p.214755, Article 214755
• Main Authors: Ezzah Ab Latif, Farah, Numan, Arshid, Mubarak, Nabisab Mujawar, Khalid, Mohammad, Abdullah, Ezzat Chan, Manaf, Norhuda Abdul, Walvekar, Rashmi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 2D Heterostructure; Composite; Electrochemical Sensor; MXene; Nanomaterials
• ISSN: 0010-8545; 1873-3840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214755

•MXene as an emerging 2D material for electrochemical sensor application.•Focus on the 2D MXene heterostructure for electrochemical sensing application.•MXene fabrication, properties and sensing performance.•Challenges of 2D MXene heterostructure in electrochemical sensor technologies.•Perspective for designing 2D MXene heterostructure sensors. The increasing environmental pollution and recurrent viral outbreaks have piqued researchers’ interest in experimenting with new materials to improve electrochemical sensing properties and develop rapid, sensitive, low-cost, environmentally friendly, real-time detection devices that could generate data beneficial for health and environmental monitoring. Due to their wide range of applications, transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXene) have recently gained prominence in two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials. MXene is a promising material for developing next-generation sensing applications due to its outstanding electronic and surface properties. Despite its numerous positive attributes, MXene exhibits a high proclivity for intersheet aggregation, lowering its electrochemical performance. To address this persistent issue, researchers attempted to integrate MXene with other 2D nanomaterials, nanoparticles, enzymes, or 3D materials, forming a composite with synergistic effects for enhancing sensing performance. Although plenty of literature is available in the sensor field, there is still a dearth of research on the two-dimensional MXene heterostructure, notably in electrochemical sensing applications. Thus, the main aim of this review is to elaborate on the 2D MXene heterostructure in the electrochemical sensing field. This review summarises different 2D MXene synthesis techniques, MXene characteristics, and sensing performance to provide a framework for developing high-performance sensors.