Thermal transports in the MXenes family: Opportunities and challenges

The carbides and nitrides of transition metals known as “MXenes” refer to a fast-growing family of two-dimensional materials discovered in 2011. Thanks to their unique nanolayer structure, superior electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, MXenes have shown great potential in addressing the critical overheating issues that jeopardize the performance, stability, and lifetime of high-energy-density components in modern devices such as microprocessors, integrated circuits, and capacitors, etc. The outstanding intrinsic thermal conductivity of MXenes has been proved by experimental and theoretical research. Numerous MXenes-enabled high thermal conductivity composites incorporated with polymer matrix have also been reported and widely used as thermal management materials. Considering the booming heat dissipation demands, MXenes-enabled thermal management material is an extremely valuable and scalable option for modern electronics industries. However, the fundamental thermal transport mechanisms behind the MXenes family remain unclear. The MXene thermal conductivity disparities between the theoretical prediction and experimental results are still significant. To better understand the thermal conduction in MXenes and provide more insights for engineering high-performance MXene thermal management materials, in this article, we summarize recent progress on thermal conductive MXenes. The essential factors that affect MXenes intrinsic thermal conductivities are tackled, selected MXenes-polymer composites are highlighted, and prospects and challenges are also discussed.