Search for: All records

Gas separation membranes incorporating two-dimensional (2D) materials have received considerable attention in recent years, as these membranes have shown outstanding physical, structural, and thermal properties and high permeability- selectivity. The reduced thickness and diversity of the gas transport mechanisms through in-plane pores (intrinsic defects), in-plane slitlike pores, or plane-to-plane interlayer galleries provide the membranes with a significant sieving ability for energy-efficient gas separation. The discovery of 2D transition metal carbides/nitrides materials, MXenes, has provided new opportunities in the gas separation membrane area because of their hydrophilicity, rich chemistry, high flexibility, and mechanical strength. This Review puts into perspective recent advances in 2D-material-based gas separation membranes. It discusses research opportunities mainly in MXene-based gas membranes, highlights modification approaches for tuning the in-plane and plane-to-plane nanoslits, explains governing mechanisms of transport through these membranes, and compares their advantages and disadvantages with those of other 2D materials. It also discusses current challenges and provides prospects in this area. 

MXene/polymer nanocomposites simultaneously benefit from the attractive properties of MXenes and the flexibility and facile processability of polymers. These composites have shown superior properties such as high light-to-heat conversion, excellent electromagnetic interference shielding, and high charge storage, compared to other nanocomposites. They have applications in chemical, materials, electrical, environmental, mechanical, and biomedical engineering as well as medicine. This property-based review on MXene/polymer nanocomposites critically describes findings and achievements in these areas and puts future research directions into perspective. It surveys novel reported applications of MXene-based polymeric nanocomposites. It also covers surface modification approaches that expand the applications of MXenes in nanocomposites.