Chronologic Analysis of MXene-Functionalized Smart Textiles

Abstract Since their discovery in 2011, MXenes, two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides, have emerged as highly promising materials for smart textile applications. They offer exceptional properties such as high electrical conductivity, optical tunability, and mechanical flexibility. These materials can also be produced at scale and readily solution-processed into textile formats, fueling a surge of interest in integrating MXenes into various smart textile applications, from strain sensors and wearable biosensors to adaptive thermal management and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding. However, despite this rapid growth, existing reviews of MXene-enabled smart textiles remain narrow in scope, often focusing on single fabrication methods or specific functionalities. Such a fragmented perspective makes it difficult for researchers to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the field has evolved and where it is headed. In response, we present a quantitative bibliographic analysis of MXene–textile research from 2017 through 2024, encompassing nearly 1000 publications. This review categorizes the literature by major functional domains (sensing, energy storage/harvesting, EMI shielding, and heating) and examines their shifts over time, providing reasons and examples for these changes in research interest. Additionally, detailed analyses of functions in each category were conducted in a similar fashion. Our holistic, data-driven assessment offers guidance for future research and commercialization of MXene-functionalized smart textiles by identifying high-impact areas, emerging opportunities, and critical gaps.