State-of-the-art advancement in MXene for energy storage and power system applications

MXenes ( have emerged as highly conductive, surface-tunable 2D materials for electrochemical energy storage and power-system-enabling functions. However, practical deployment is frequently limited by nanosheet restacking, interlayer densification, ion-transport bottlenecks and mechanical deterioration during cycling. Prior reviews, while valuable, are often fragmented, treating synthesis chemistry, electrochemical behavior or composite engineering in isolation. Therefore, they do not clearly explain how structure, interfacial chemistry and architectural hierarchy act together to control rate capability, stability and durability. This review addresses these gaps by integrating MXene synthesis routes and surface termination control with electrode-architecture design in a single, mechanism-driven framework. We consolidate recent progress across batteries and supercapacitors, with particular emphasis on bio-derived hybridization and biomimetic structural concepts (e.g., nacre, wood, and honeycomb-inspired architectures). Our findings demonstrate that these approaches offer practical strategies to suppress restacking, introduce hierarchical porosity, improve electrolyte infiltration and enhance mechanical compliance without sacrificing electrical transport. Furthermore, we address the deficiency of predictive design guidance in the literature by developing a cohesive multiscale modelling framework that connects interfacial energetics, charge and mass transport and stress dissipation, thereby facilitating the rational screening and optimisation of next-generation MXene hybrid electrodes. This study links materials chemistry with transport and mechanics, offering practical design concepts for robust, high-rate and scalable MXene-based energy storage systems and associated power system applications. • MXene synthesis, interfacial chemistry, and architecture are linked to durability. • Fluorinated, fluoride-free, molten-salt, and bottom-up routes are benchmarked. • Restacking is mitigated and ion transport is improved by biomimetic structures. • A multiscale modelling pathway linking adhesion, transport, and stress is proposed.