T. Azama, M. S. Khalid and Z.-S. Wu *

Materials Today, 2025, 82.

DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2024.12.004 [PDF]

Two-dimensional (2D) MXenes have gained substantial interest in energy storage and conversion technologies by the virtue to their remarkable electrochemical performance. Traditional MXene synthesis methods involving hazardous acidic etchants pose safety concerns, scalability limitations, and yield MXenes with heterogeneous surface terminations, affecting their suitability in specific energy applications. The emergence of Lewis acid molten salt (LAMS) method has revolutionized MXene synthesis by offering a safer, environmentally friendly, and more versatile approach that enables precise control over surface terminations. This review comprehensively summarizes the chemical synthesis of 2D MXenes and their hybrids using the LAMS method and modified approaches, along with recent developments of this rapidly evolving techniques within energy storage and conversion systems. Additionally, the advantages of the LAMS method beyond safety consideration in terms of fine-tuning surface chemistry, in-situ synthesis of metal/MXene hybrids, and expansion of the synthesis landscape are presented. Moreover, the strategies for delamination of LAMS-synthesized MXenes to obtain single/few-layer MXenes are also discussed. Finally, this review concludes by highlighting the encountered challenges and proposing future perspectives.