journal article·2026-07Open access

MXene‐Based Piezoelectric and Triboelectric Energy Harvesters for Personalized Monitoring and Therapeutics

Bangul Khan, Rana Talha Khalid, Bilawal Khan, Muhammad Hasan Masrur, Mohamed Elhousseini Hilal, Mohamed Elgendi, Bee Luan Khoo

Small· Volume 22· Issue 40

Abstract

ABSTRACT MXenes, a rapidly expanding family of two‐dimensional transition‐metal carbides and nitrides, have emerged as a key material of self‐powered wearable electronics and therapeutics owing to their metallic conductivity, mechanical flexibility, and highly tunable surface chemistry. Their integration into piezoelectric nanogenerators and triboelectric nanogenerators (PENGs and TENGs) has substantially advanced mechanical‐to‐electrical energy conversion in flexible, skin‐conformal devices. This review critically examines recent progress in MXene‐enabled nanogenerators, covering material synthesis, device architectures, charge‐generation mechanisms, and system‐level integration. Emphasis is placed on emerging MXene‐based composites, including hydrogels, aerogels, nanofibers, and smart textiles, that synergistically integrate energy harvesting, sensing, and mechanical robustness for continuous physiological monitoring, human–machine interfaces, sports analytics, wearable therapeutics and in vivo applications. Key challenges limiting practical deployment, such as oxidation instability, mechanical fatigue, biocompatibility, and scalable manufacturing, are systematically analyzed alongside state‐of‐the‐art mitigation strategies. Finally, future perspectives are outlined, highlighting the convergence of MXene nanogenerators with artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and sustainable materials systems to enable autonomous, intelligent, and next‐generation, personalized monitoring and therapeutic technologies.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Advanced Sensor and Energy Harvesting Materials · MXene and MAX Phase Materials · Dielectric materials and actuators

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

Department of Biomedical Engineering College of Biomedicine City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Hong Kong

Hong Kong Centre of Cerebro‐Cardiovascular Health Engineering (COCHE) Shatin Hong Kong

Department of Biomedical Engineering Riphah International University Lahore Pakistan

Department of Materials Science and Engineering City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Hong Kong

James Watt School of Engineering University of Glasgow Glasgow UK

Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology Khalifa University of Science and Technology Abu Dhabi UAE

Healthcare Engineering Innovation Group (HEIG) Khalifa University Abu Dhabi UAE

Institute of Digital Medicine City University of Hong Kong Kowloon Hong Kong

Funding

City University of Hong Kong · Innovation and Technology Commission

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