Synthesis, structure and properties of MXene: The 2-D material beyond Graphene

The ability to isolate and grow two-dimensional (2D) materials has generated considerable excitement and fascination in scientific community because of the endless possibility of tuning their functional properties. The isolation of graphene in 2004 from graphite was a defining moment for the development of two dimensional (2D) materials. In recent years, various other non-graphene 2D materials and heterostructures have been developed to provide specific electrical, thermal, physical or mechanical properties and functionalities. By combining various 2D materials, unique combinations of properties that were unimaginable in bulk materials can be achieved. Recently, after its discovery in 2011, a novel kind of non-graphene 2D layered material named MXene, has received increasing attention and rapid expansion of interest because of its potential applicability in a variety of fields such as energy storage including super capacitors, lithium-ion batteries, oxygen evolution reaction, heavy metal adsorption, electromagnetic interference shielding, water purification, electrocatalysis and medicine etc.