MXene Contact Engineering for Printed Electronics

MXenes emerging as an amazing class of 2D layered materials, have drawn great attention in the past decade. Recent progress suggest that MXene-based materials have been widely explored as conductive electrodes for printed electronics, including electronic and optoelectronic devices, sensors, and energy storage systems. Here, the critical factors impacting device performance are comprehensively interpreted from the viewpoint of contact engineering, thereby giving a deep understanding of surface microstructures, contact defects, and energy level matching as well as their interaction principles. This review also summarizes the existing challenges of MXene inks and the related printing techniques, aiming at inspiring researchers to develop novel large-area and high-resolution printing integration methods. Moreover, to effectually tune the states of contact interface and meet the urgent demands of printed electronics, the significance of MXene contact engineering in reducing defects, matching energy levels, and regulating performance is highlighted. Finally, the printed electronics constructed by the collaborative combination of the printing process and contact engineering are discussed.

Automated summary

MXenes, as an amazing class of 2D layered materials, have attracted great attention in the past decade. Recent progress has shown that MXene-based materials have been widely explored as conductive electrodes for printed electronics, such as electronic and optoelectronic devices, sensors, and energy storage systems. This review comprehensively interprets the critical factors that impact device performance from the viewpoint of contact engineering and highlights the significance of MXene contact engineering in reducing defects, matching energy levels, and regulating performance in order to meet the urgent demands of printed electronics. Additionally, the challenges of MXene inks and related printing techniques are summarized, aiming to inspire researchers to develop novel large-area and high-resolution printing integration methods. Finally, the collaborative combination of the printing process and contact engineering in constructing printed electronics is discussed.