Smart MXene Quantum Dot-Based Nanosystems for Biomedical Applications

Abstract

MXene quantum dots (QDs), with their unique structural, optical, magnetic, and electronic characteristics, are promising contenders for various pharmaceutical and biomedical appliances including biological sensing/imaging, cancer diagnosis/therapy, regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, delivery of drugs/genes, and analytical biochemistry. Although functionalized MXene QDs have demonstrated high biocompatibility, superb optical properties, and stability, several challenging issues pertaining to their long-term toxicity, histopathology, biodistribution, biodegradability, and photoluminescence properties are still awaiting systematic study (especially the move towards the practical and clinical phases from the pre-clinical/lab-scale discoveries). The up-scalable and optimized synthesis methods need to be developed not only for the MXene QD-based nanosystems but also for other smart platforms and hybrid nanocomposites encompassing MXenes with vast clinical and biomedical potentials. Enhancing the functionalization strategies, improvement of synthesis methods, cytotoxicity/biosafety evaluations, enriching the biomedical applications, and exploring additional MXene QDs are crucial aspects for developing the smart MXene QD-based nanosystems with improved features. Herein, recent developments concerning the biomedical applications of MXene QDs are underscored with emphasis on current trends and future prospects.

Applications of MXene and its modified materials in skin wound repair

“…MXene contains a large number of delocalized electrons, which can realize rapid conduction and delivery of electrons ( Iravani et al, 2022 ). Meanwhile, the rich functional groups on the surface of MXene can also react with reactive oxygen species, so it has an excellent application prospect in reactive oxygen species scavenging ( Iravani and Varma, 2022 ). Adding MXene to skin wound dressing can improve the overall scavenging ability of the material on reactive oxygen species.…”

Synthesis, Toxicity Assessment, Environmental and Biomedical Applications of MXenes: A Review

“…Low quantum yield in the UV spectrum, potential instability and nonspecific adsorption reducing the efficiency of MQDs use in the biological environment are the issues that hamper MXenes application for bioimaging. The electron structure-related mechanisms of MXenes remain unclear [ 99 ]. Finally, as with other promising nanomaterials in biomedicine, the problems associated with acute and long-term toxicity have not yet been resolved; this point will be discussed in more detail in the following sections.…”

Progression of Quantum Dots Confined Polymeric Systems for Sensorics

“…In recent decades, continuous advances in the synthesis and production of novel materials have further boosted the development of nanoscience and technology [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Quantum dots (QDs) are a relatively novel phenomenon in the world of the 0D nanomaterials’ family of minerals.…”