MXene/MOF composites: Synergistic platforms for advanced Energy, catalysis, and environmental applications

Abstract

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) showcase exceptional potential in energy and environmental technologies due to their tunable architectures and molecular selectivity, yet face critical limitations in conductivity and stability. Integrating MOFs with conductive MXenes-2D materials with metallic electron transport and mechanical durability-yields synergistic hybrids that overcome these constraints while preserving MOFs' precision. This review analyzes key synthesis approaches ranging from in-situ MOF growth on MXene surfaces, direct mixing, physical blending, to advanced derivatization methods (including pyrolysis, phosphorization, sulfidation, and selenation), and their applications in energy storage (supercapacitors, multivalent batteries), catalytic conversion (water splitting), and pioneering environmental remediation. Significantly, it addresses prior oversights by detailing MOFs/MXenes' radionuclide capture and heavy metal immobilization via coupled adsorption-redox mechanisms. Emerging frontiers in microwave attenuation and gas separation are also explored, establishing design principles for charge transfer enhancement and stability optimization. The work uniquely bridges material innovation with sustainability demands, identifying scalability challenges and research priorities for next-generation hybrid systems. • State-of-the-art MXene/MOF synthesis: in-situ growth, direct/physical mixing and advanced derivatization reviewed. • Multifunctional MXene/MOF applications: energy storage and electro/photocatalysis and environmental remediation. • MXene/MOF synergy: metallic conductivity meets tunable porosity for enhanced charge transfer and stability. • Emerging MXene/MOF uses microwave absorption, sensors, and gas separation expand hybrid systems. • MXene/MOF interfacial and scalable synthesis for next-generation energy and environmental technologies.