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Zheng et al. Soft Sci. 2026, 6, 32 Page 29 of 57

nonpolar solvents but forms uniform, persistent dispersions in extremely polar solvents including ethanol,
dimethyl sulfoxide, and N-methylpyrrolidone directly verifying the polar nature of its surface end groups .
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Researchers have created several methods to control MXene dispersibility in order to fulfill the demands of
high-concentration processing. Ionic intercalation was successfully used by Zhang et al. to modify surface
hydrophobicity [Figure 10H], greatly increasing dispersion concentration in organic phases [134] . As of right
now, self-supporting MXene colloidal materials with solid contents as high as 19.4 weight percent have been
effectively created. These materials include internal contained water, which allows them to preserve
conductivity similar to that of freshly manufactured MXene while preserving good redispersibility. This
invention offers a unique way to store, transport, and process the material on a large scale .
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However, one major issue limiting MXene’s practical use is its long-term stability under standard settings.
Reduced conductivity and structural integrity result from oxidative deterioration, which is easily triggered by
exposure to water and oxygen conditions. The material’s service life is prolonged and the oxidation process is
effectively delayed by encapsulation with organic solvents to isolate moisture . Another successful tactic for
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improving stability is the creation of composite materials. For example, as Figure 10I [135] illustrates,
combining MXene with AgNWs to create an interlocking network structure not only greatly improves the
tensile characteristics and interfacial bonding strength of the composite fibers but also significantly increases
the system’s overall oxidation resistance.

MXene-based fibers show outstanding compatibility with textile manufacturing processes for end-use
applications. Early research has demonstrated the viability of integrating MXene-based fibers onto textile
substrates using conventional methods such as hand sewing [Figure 10J], knitting, or embroidery [31,141] . This
field has progressed to industrial-scale pilot production in recent years. Automated weaving of a variety of
materials, such as MXene/polyurethane (PU) hydrospun fibers and MXene-coated cotton fibers, has been
made possible using industrial-grade computerized circular knitting machines. Figure 10K displays
schematic schematics of 3D-knitted energy storage devices, illustrating the capacity to create thick or porous
fabric structures in accordance with design specifications . Precise design of intricate textile structures and
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useful patterns is made possible by this interoperability with scalable, automated textile manufacturing. It
greatly speeds up the transition of MXene-based smart textiles from lab research to real-world applications
by creating a strong industrial foundation for the development of high-performance, wearable textile
electronics .
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Fabrication strategies
MXene nanosheets have exceptional mechanical potential, high specific surface area, and metalloid-like high
conductivity at the microscopic level. However, problems like weak interfacial bonding between nanosheets,
prone disordered stacking, internal voids, and structural defects frequently hinder the actual mechanical and
electrical performance of macroscopic fibers from fully translating their theoretical properties. Consequently,
a key area of research for improving the overall characteristics of fibers is the development of efficient
assembly techniques to provide highly directed alignment, compact integration, and stable interfacial
bonding of MXene nanosheets. Researchers have created a variety of fiber production methods to satisfy the
complex requirements of smart textiles, such as high active substance loading, structural design flexibility,
processing simplicity, and fiber continuity. These mainly include dual-winding techniques, wet-spinning,
coating techniques, and electrospinning. Together, these approaches including material adaptability, process
complexity, and fiber structure/property control, which move MXene-based conductive fibers from lab
research to real-world smart textile integration.