MXene-Based Advanced Materials: Mechanical and Catalytic Properties and Their Key Applications

Abstract

Environment, water, and energy are mandatory for living things in our Earth today and tomorrow. Conservation of all the natural resources for future generation is the duty of every individual living today. Discovery of different types of materials and technologies all over the world made the life of human being easier than in the past. Day by day increasing environmental pollution damages our nature very hard in many ways. Carbon emission during burning of fossil fuels is highly dangerous and should be controlled for better nature around us. Hydrogen energy is a good option for reducing the emission of carbon to atmosphere. Varieties of newly emerged materials are used as catalysts for efficient hydrogen production through photocatalytic and electrocatalytic water splitting. Still now, large scale production of hydrogen via the green route is in the infant stages. The use of two-dimensional layered MXenes as catalysts for green hydrogen production is one of the effective methods and new ideas are emerging in this field every day. Peculiar properties of MXenes like high surface area to volume ratio, electrical conductivity, mechanical properties, and catalytic properties are favourable for photocatalysis and electrocatalysis. Photocatalytic dye degradation is another use of MXenes-based advanced materials for waste water treatment. Thus, the properties of MXenes-based advanced materials along with different catalytic applications are included in this chapter in detail.