The unique properties of MXenes have been deemed to be of significant interest in various emerging applications. However, MXenes provide a major drawback involving environmentally harmful and toxic substances for its general fabrication in large-scale production and employing a high-temperature solid-state reaction followed by selective etching. Meanwhile, how MXenes are synthesized is essential in directing their end uses. Therefore, making strategic approaches to synthesize greener, safer, more sustainable, and more environmentally friendly MXenes is imperative to commercialize at a competitive price. With increasing reports of green synthesis that promote advanced technologies and non-toxic agents, it is critical to compile, summarize, and synthesize the latest development of the green-related technology of MXenes. We review the recent progress of greener, safer, and more sustainable MXene synthesis with a focus on the fundamental synthetic process, the mechanism, and the general advantages, and the emphasis on the MXene properties inherited from such green synthesis techniques. The emerging use of the so-called green MXenes in energy conversion and storage, environmental remediation, and biomedical applications is presented. Finally, the remaining challenges and prospects of greener MXene synthesis are discussed.

MXenes are a class of 2D transition-metal carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides with exceptional properties, including substantial electrical and thermal conductivities, outstanding mechanical strength, and a considerable surface area, rendering them an appealing choice for gas sensors. This manuscript provides a comprehensive analysis of heterostructures based on MXenes employed in gas-sensing applications and focuses on addressing the limited understanding of the sensor mechanisms of MXene-based heterostructures while highlighting their potential to enhance gas-sensing performance. The manuscript begins with a broad overview of gas-sensing mechanisms in both pristine materials and MXene-based heterostructures. Subsequently, it explores various features of MXene-based heterostructures, including their composites with other materials and their prospects for gas-sensing applications. Additionally, the manuscript evaluates different engineering strategies for MXenes and compares their advantages to other materials while discussing the limitations of current state-of-the-art sensors. Ultimately, this review seeks to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange within the field, facilitating the development of high-performance gas sensors based on MXenes.