Perspectives of 2D MXene Tribology

A large and rapidly growing family of two-dimensional early transition metal carbides and nitrides (MXenes) raises significant interest in materials science and chemistry of materials communities. Discovered a decade ago, MXenes have already demonstrated outstanding potential in various applications ranging from energy storage to biology and medicine. The past two years have witnessed increased experimental and theoretical efforts toward studying the mechanical, adhesive, and tribological properties of MXenes. While the research on understanding the tribological properties of MXenes is still in its early stages, it experiences a rapid growth due to the excellent mechanical properties and tailorability of MXenes. In this article, we summarize the most prominent results in the context of MXene tribology and provide our perspective on the future of this emerging area. In addition to overviewing the current state of MXene tribology research, we outline future important problems to be pursued further and provide methodological recommendations, which we believe could be useful for experts, as well as newcomers to this and related areas of MXene research.