MXene is becoming a “rising star” material due to its versatility for a wide portfolio of applications, including electrochemical energy storage devices, electrocatalysis, sensors, biomedical applications, membranes, flexible and wearable devices, etc. As these applications promote increased interest in MXene research, summarizing the latest findings on this family of materials will help inform the scientific community. In this review, we first discuss the rapid evolutionary change in MXenes from the first reported M₂XT_x structure to the last reported M₅X₄T_x structure. The use of systematically modified synthesis routes, such as foreign atom intercalation, tuning precursor chemistry, etc., will be further discussed in the next section. Then, we review the applications of MXenes and their composites/hybrids for rapidly growing applications such as batteries, supercapacitors, electrocatalysts, sensors, biomedical, electromagnetic interference shielding, membranes, and flexible and wearable devices. More importantly, we notice that its excellent metallic conductivity with its hydrophilic nature distinguishes MXene from other materials, and its properties and applications can be further modified by surface functionalization. MXene composites/hybrids outperform pristine MXenes in many applications. In addition, a summary of the latest findings using MXene-based materials to overcome application-specific drawbacks is provided in the last few sections. We hope that the information provided in this review will help integrate lab-scale findings into commercially viable products.

Lauha Bhasma (LB) is a prominent Ayurveda medicine and uses as an ingredient to prepare other indigenous medicines in Ayurveda. The outcomes of this study on chemical and physical changes during the preparation process of LB become significant to explore ancient knowledge of east within the modern context. The preparation process of LB was carried out under laboratory conditions; starting from the elemental form of the Iron sample to identify the chemical and physical changes. The metallic composition of the starting material and intermediate products formed during the LB preparation process was determined using the AAS technique. The variation of the amount of Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ throughout the process and formation of nanoparticles was identified using quantitative analysis. Even though the amount of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Mn) present in the starting material is low, the trace level of heavy metals in the iron sample significantly reduces during the LB preparation process. Irregular-shaped, agglomerated, blackish red (Pakvajambuphala varna) fine LB powder formed at the end of the Putapaka step. The value of ancient knowledge can be revealed using the chemical and physical changes identified throughout the study on the LB preparation process.

Over the past two decades, the application of polymers in the field of biomedicine has grown exponentially due to the special properties of some polymers such as their biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and biodegradability with outstanding physical and mechanical properties. Biocompatibility and biodegradation are very important for materials that are relevant to the field of biomedicine because the formation of toxins after their decomposition poses many critical problems, and the lack of biocompatibility hinders the desired function of the polymer. The massive development of polymers and the synthesis of multifunctional biomolecules have led to the replacement of old biodegradable materials used in biomedical applications with polymeric biomaterials. Synthesized polymers and naturally derived polymers can be applied to different sections of the biomedical field. In this chapter, the authors discuss the selected applications and advancements of synthesized polymers and naturally derived polymers in biosensors, bioelectronic devices, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.

Many countries are researching the use of renewable energy sources to mitigate global environmental damage. In recent years, one-dimensional (1D) structured materials have made major contributions to advanced energy applications due to their many unique properties. Current research is now focusing on 1D polymeric materials as alternative materials for green energy generation and storage devices. Firstly, this chapter discusses the fabrication of 1D polymeric materials using electrospinning, interfacial polymerization, sol-gel, and chemical vapor deposition methods for various energy applications. Secondly, the chapter details the use of 1D polymeric materials (fibers, wires, ribbons, and rods) to improve the efficiency of advanced power applications, with a specific focus on solar cells, fuel cells for energy generation, batteries, and supercapacitors for energy storage. Finally, a brief discussion on 1D polymeric materials for wearable devices is included.