MXene-based electrochemical and biosensing platforms to detect toxic elements and pesticides pollutants from environmental matrices

Fabricating new biosensing constructs with high selectivity and sensitivity is the most needed environmental detection tool. In this context, several nanostructured materials have been envisaged to construct biosensors to achieve superior selectivity and sensitivity. Among them, MXene is regarded as the most promising to develop biosensors due to its fascinating attributes, like high surface area, excellent thermal resistance, good hydrophilicity, unique layered topology, high electrical conductivity, and environmentally-friendlier properties. MXenes-based materials have emerged as a prospective for catalysis, energy storage, electronics, and environmental sensing and remediation applications thanks to the above-mentioned exceptional characteristics. This review elaborates on the contemporary and state-of-the-art advancements in MXene-based electrochemical and biosensing tools to detect toxic elements, pharmaceutically active residues, and pesticide contaminants from environmental matrices. At first, the surface functionalization/modification of MXenes is discussed. Afterwards, a particular focus has been devoted to exploiting MXene to construct electrochemical (bio) sensors to detect various environmentally-related pollutants. Lastly, current challenges in this arena accompanied by potential solutions and directions are also outlined.

Automated summary

This review presents the applications of MXene materials in environmental detection, focusing on the surface functionalization of MXene and the construction of electrochemical sensors to detect environmental pollutants. The challenges in this field and potential solutions and directions are also discussed.