The Spark of an Idea
Sensors are at the heart of modern technology. From the phones in our pockets to the medical devices in hospitals, they quietly enable much of our daily life. Yet, as our needs grow more complex, we require sensors that can do more with less; that is, sensors that are lightweight, flexible, multifunctional, and highly sensitive.
Every research journey starts with a simple question. For us, it was: How can we create sensors that are faster, more sensitive, and versatile enough to address the growing challenges in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and wearable technology?
Traditional sensing materials are good at what they do, but they often focus on just one function at a time. Imagine a material that can only detect temperature but not pressure, or one that senses gases but cannot adapt to liquids. We wondered if it would be possible to design sensors that go beyond singular functionality using materials that can fit into one compact, reliable platform. That curiosity led us to MXenes.
What Makes MXenes Special?
MXenes are a relatively new family of two-dimensional (2D) materials, discovered just over 10 years ago by a team in Philadelphia led by Prof. Yury Gogotsi. MXenes look like ultra-tiny sheets, almost like stacks of paper peeled down to just a few layers. What makes them so exciting is their combination of remarkable properties. They conduct electricity as if they were metals, their surfaces can be tailored to interact with different substances, and they function in both liquid and solid form. In many ways, MXenes are like the Swiss Army knife of materials, versatile, adaptable, and ready to tackle multiple tasks at once. These traits make them especially promising for building sensors that can work reliably in everyday conditions.
From Concept to Manuscript
In our paper, we explained how MXenes can be integrated into sensors for applications that go well beyond conventional devices. We looked at their ability to detect gases, biomolecules, pressure, and even light. The idea was to see how far the functionality of 2D nanomaterials has been pushed when placed in sensing platforms.
Take wearable health devices as an example. MXene-based sensors, when properly engineered and designed, have the potential to monitor multiple signals simultaneously, such as heart rate, sweat composition, and movement. MXenes could detect toxic gases with far greater sensitivity than conventional materials. Unlike traditional sensing materials, which are typically confined to rigid electronics, MXenes are highly processable, allowing us to embed them into non-conducting substrates like fabrics and make them electrically conducting, thereby creating fully functional wearable sensors.
However, the journey with MXenes has not always been straightforward. MXenes can degrade over time when exposed to air or moisture, complicating their use in long-term devices. Scaling up their production without losing quality is another challenge. What works for a small batch in the lab does not always translate to industrial-scale manufacturing. There’s also the question of reproducibility. Two samples prepared under slightly different conditions (even by the same person!) may perform differently, which makes it harder to build standardised devices.
Beyond those, the simple decision of what form MXene should take before integrating it into actual devices also presents further challenges. We often ask ourselves, “Can we maximise this property of MXene by spinning it into fibre form? Or would this idea work better if we simply coated an existing substrate with MXene ink?”
Being a team that has worked closely with MXenes since 2016, many of our late nights in the lab were devoted to exploring different fabrication methods, adjusting surface chemistries, and troubleshooting unexpected results. The insights presented in this review are therefore informed not only by the literature but also by our own hands-on experiences. We understand these challenges firsthand, and we hope to provide guidance to make it easier for future researchers to navigate their own journey with MXenes. We believe each problem the community overcomes is a step closer to seeing MXene-based sensors applied outside the lab.
Why Does This Matter?
So why does this work matter? MXenes offer a path to the future of sensors. Their unique combination of properties gives them an edge over many traditional materials. By studying their behaviour in sensing platforms (both advantages and challenges), we aim to lay the groundwork for devices that could one day monitor health in real time, keep our environment safer, and open new possibilities for smart technologies.
Looking Ahead
Our work is only one step in a larger journey. The field is still young, and researchers worldwide are experimenting with new ways to design, stabilize, and apply these materials. Collaborations across disciplines, from chemistry to engineering to healthcare, will be crucial in translating MXene sensors into real-world products. We are optimistic. Each experiment teaches us more about how these materials behave and how we can tailor them for specific applications. With every discovery, the vision of MXenes as multifunctional sensors feels less like a possibility and more like an inevitability.
Beyond the data and figures, this is a story about curiosity, persistence, and the excitement of working with a new class of materials that might redefine what sensors can do. MXenes are still at the beginning of their story, and so are we. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that the potential of these materials is as layered and rich as the structures themselves. We can’t wait to see where they take us next!