MXene: An emerging material for sensing and biosensing

MXene has emerged as an amazing family of two dimensional (2D) layered materials and drawn great attention from researchers of diverse scientific fields. MXenes are the recent advancements of materials chemistry which include early transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbonitrides produced by exfoliation of selective MAX phases. MAX phase corresponds to the general formula M(n+1)AX(n) (n = 1, 2, 3) where M represents early d-block transition metals, A stands for main group sp elements (specifically groups 13 and 14) and X is either C or N atoms. MXenes have left a prodigious impact on scientific communities with new technological advancements for a plethora of potential applications in the field of catalysis, clean energy, electronics, fuel cells, supercapacitors etc. With high metallic conductivity, hydrophilicity, low diffusion barrier, high ion transport properties, biocompatibility, large surface area and ease of functionalization, the MXenes act as fascinating interface for designing next generation detection systems exploiting their utilization in analytical chemistry. Recent progress in the field of MXenes emphasizing their significant role in analytical sensing has been well discussed in this review. Future perspectives with a motivated research in the field of MXenes based sensors have been focused at the end. The underlying goal of this review is to acquaint the readers with the sensing applications of MXenes and to document the latest advancements made in this area till date. (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.