Tailoring MXenes for Effective Water Purification: Recent Advances in Material Properties and Environmental Applications

The unique properties of MXenes, including outstanding electrical, mechanical, optical, thermal, and magnetic characteristics, make them highly suitable for various emerging environmental protection applications. Despite growing interest in their potential for water treatment, there is a lack of comprehensive review articles that detail the chemistry underlying their decontamination efficacy. This review provides an exhaustive overview of recent advances in the environmentally sustainable use of MXenes for water purification. It covers techniques such as surface functionalization, the creation of synergistic composite structures with organic or inorganic agents, and the tailored design of MXenes to optimize properties like interlayer spacing, work function, and band gap energy for water treatment applications. The review illustrates how deliberate material design enhances MXenes’ effectiveness in bacterial disinfection, removal of organic pollutants including synthetic dyes and antibiotics, and heavy metal remediation. These insights advance fundamental understanding and support the development of next-generation water treatment technologies.