Super‐tough and excellent heat‐resistant poly( <scp>l</scp> ‐lactide) reinforced by silane‐functionalized <scp>MXene</scp> composites

Abstract Poly( l ‐lactide) (PLLA) is a promising biodegradable polymer whose widespread application is limited by inherent brittleness and insufficient thermal stability. To address these challenges, this study introduces silane‐functionalized MXene as a multifunctional nanofiller for PLLA. The MXene was chemically grafted with 3‐(triethoxysilyl)propylisocyanate to enhance interfacial compatibility with the polymer matrix. The resulting PLLA composite containing only 0.5 wt% of the modified MXene exhibits a dramatic mechanical enhancement, achieving a 210% elongation at break, which represents a 23‐fold increase over that of neat PLLA, while maintaining a high tensile strength of 58 MPa. Dynamic mechanical analysis confirms superior storage modulus, and thermogravimetric analysis reveals significantly improved thermal stability with degradation onset temperatures exceeding 290 °C. These findings demonstrate that silane‐functionalized MXene effectively reinforces PLLA through interfacial crosslinking and efficient stress transfer, providing a viable strategy for developing high‐performance biodegradable polymers. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.