MXene as a hydrogen storage material

Traditional hydrogen storage materials rely mainly on chemical adsorption (such as metal hydrides and chemical hydrides) or physical adsorption (such as metal–organic frameworks, activated carbon, zeolites, and other high-specific surface area materials) to achieve the storage and release of hydrogen. However, these materials struggle to simultaneously meet the technical requirements of high-capacity, rapid, and reversible hydrogen absorption and desorption under room temperature and atmospheric pressure. In recent years, both theoretical predictions and experimental research have indicated that nontraditional hydrogen storage materials based on hybrid adsorption mechanisms (such as physical adsorption, chemical adsorption, Kubas-type interactions, static electric polarization, and weak chemical adsorption)—namely, MXene materials—are promising for rapid and high-capacity hydrogen storage under normal conditions. This review aims to focus on the intrinsic principles of the diverse hybrid mechanisms of MXene materials and recent research progress of MXene as a hydrogen carrier. By detailed analysis of their structural characteristics, surface properties, and the specific mechanisms of interaction with hydrogen, it strives to deepen the understanding of the physicochemical principles of MXene materials as a hydrogen storage material.