Next-Generation MXene-Hydrogel Hybrids: Frontiers in Biosensing and Environmental Surveillance

Clinical Snapshot

Key Findings

• Effect Size: Not quantified - qualitative assessment only

• Primary Outcome: Enhanced electrochemical sensing performance of MXene-hydrogel hybrids

• Nnt Or Sensitivity: Enhanced charge transport and mechanical stability reported qualitatively

• Confidence Interval: Not reported

Clinical Application

Limited by oxidation susceptibility, stability issues, and scalability challenges Potential applications in remote patient monitoring and environmental surveillance, but requires TGA approval for medical devices Patients requiring biosensing or environmental monitoring

Abstract

Hydrogels have emerged as promising soft materials for applications in sensing, energy storage, and wearable electronics due to their tunable physicochemical properties and intrinsic biocompatibility. The integration of two-dimensional transition metal carbides/nitrides (MXenes) into hydrogel matrices has enabled the development of highly conductive, flexible, and electrochemically active composites for advanced sensing platforms. MXene-hydrogel hybrids exhibit enhanced charge transport, mechanical stability, and interfacial functionality, making them particularly attractive for electrochemical sensing applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of MXene-hydrogel composites, focusing on their design strategies, synthesis approaches, and electrochemical sensing performance. Despite these advantages, critical challenges remain, including susceptibility of MXenes to oxidation, restacking of nanosheets, limited long-term stability, and difficulties in reproducible and scalable synthesis. These limitations significantly impede their translation into practical and commercial devices. Particular emphasis is placed on identifying current bottlenecks and outlining future research directions, including the development of oxidation-resistant MXenes, advanced hybrid architectures, scalable fabrication techniques, and integration into wearable and point-of-care sensing systems. Addressing these challenges is essential for realizing the full potential of MXene-hydrogel systems in next-generation electrochemical sensing technologies.