Recent progress on MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures: A new era in coordination chemistry for energy storage and conversion

The development of urbanization and industrialization leads to rapid depletion of fossil fuels. Therefore, the production of fuel from renewable resources is highly desired. Electrotechnical energy conversion and storage is a benign technique with reliable output and is eco-friendly. Developing an exceptional electrochemical catalyst with tunable properties like a huge specific surface area, porous channels, and abundant active sites is critical points. Recently, Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) have been extensively investigated in the field of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. However, advances in the research on MOFs are hampered by their limited structural stability and conventionally low electrical conductivity, whereas the practical electrochemical performance of MXenes is impeded by their low porosity, inadequate redox sites, and agglomeration. Consequently, researchers have been designing MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures to overcome the limitations in electrochemical energy conversion and storage. This review explores the recent advances in MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures design strategies, tailoring their properties based on the morphologies (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D), and broadening their future opportunities in electrochemical energy storage (batteries, supercapacitors) and catalytic energy conversion (HER, OER, and ORR). The intercalation of MOF in between the MXene layers in the nanoarchitectures functions synergistically to address the issues associated with bare MXene and MOF in the electrochemical energy storage and conversion. This review gives a clear emphasis on the general aspects of MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures, and the future research perspectives, challenges of MOF/MXene design strategies and electrochemical applications are highlighted. (c) 2023 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The development of urbanization and industrialization has led to the depletion of fossil fuels and the need for renewable energy production. Electrochemical energy conversion and storage, using materials such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and two-dimensional transition-metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes), have emerged as promising techniques. However, MOFs face challenges in terms of structural stability and electrical conductivity, while MXenes have issues with porosity, redox sites, and agglomeration. To overcome these limitations, researchers have been designing MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures, which show promise in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. This review highlights the design strategies and future opportunities of MOF/MXene nanoarchitectures.