Recent progress of Ti3C2Tx-based MXenes for fabrication of multifunctional smart textiles

Abstract

Smart textiles are fabrics derived from intelligent or responsive materials that sense stimuli and enable information transmission. Smart interactive textiles are novel context-aware multifunctional electronic products, and their features have considerable potential applications in wearable electronics. In recent years, they have attracted considerable attention, leading to the emergence of wearable electronic textiles (e-textiles). Smart and soft wearable textile devices are gradually replacing conventional garments and rigid wearable electronics systems that are expected to dominate the wearable market in the future. Research on new materials and fabrication methods as potential alternatives to components of invasive and rigid wearable systems and existing production techniques, respectively, is ongoing. To satisfy the demands for high-performance wearables, considerable efforts have recently been devoted to fabricate functional fabrics using two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal carbides/nitrides (called MXenes). Owing to their metallic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, large surface area, and unique surface chemistry, Ti3C2Tx-based MXene nanosheets are excellent electrodes. MXene exhibits potential in many fields, including the fabrication of textile-based devices used as additives and coated or integrated with fabrics through various methods. This article mainly discusses the recent progress and scaling in scientific procedures based on 2D Ti3C2Tx-based MXenes to fabricate well-designed multifunctional smart textiles. We also highlight the challenges in current engineering production methods and discuss the possible solutions and prospects arising from recent advancements in the integration of Ti3C2Tx-based MXenes into smart textile devices. This review article focuses on the rapidly developing new class of wearable technology and provides a comprehensive outlook on smart wearable electronic textile research.