Tunable Antibacterial Activity of a Polypropylene Fabric Coated with Bristling Ti₃C₂T_x MXene Flakes Coupling the Nanoblade Effect with ROS Generation

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer widely used as a medical textile in healthcare applications due to its low cost and superior performance. However, it does not show antibacterial properties leading to the possibility of pathogen transmission. Herein, we have developed an antibacterial medical fabric by facile self-assembly of delaminated two-dimensional (2D) Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene flakes bristling on the surface of PP fibers. The increasing amount of MXene in the coating solution from 1 up to 32 mg/mL allowed for edge-on assembly of MXene flakes on the PP surface and tracking the evolution of the band gap for a restacked structure. Characterization of the PP/Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite has proven that it exhibited highly effective antibacterial, robust coating, and chemically/thermally stable properties. The in vitro microbiological studies against Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus have shown that PP/Ti 3 C 2 T x reduced the bacterial viability up to 100%, as driven by synergistic membrane stress mediated by physical contact and light-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Moreover, the use of L-ascorbic acid for MXene stabilization allowed for achieving excellent thermal stability of the PP/Ti 3 C 2 T x nanocomposite upon accelerated thermal aging. Collectively, this work provides a facile surface engineering strategy for designing medical fabrics with outstanding functional performances. By demonstrating the exceptional performance of the stabilized MXene in a self-assembly nanocomposite structure, we are opening the door for MXenes to be applied in other biomedical fields.

Prospective applications of two-dimensional materials beyond laboratory frontiers: A review

“…Moreover, the ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species) effect coupled with MXene also plays a vital role in enhancing the antimicrobial activity. 191

Figure 9 Antibacterial activity and mechanism of 2D materials (A–D) Cell viability measurement of E. coli and B. subtilis exposed to polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) and Ti 3 C 2 T x . Flow cytometry dot plots of E. coli (A and B) and B. subtilis (C and D) bacterial cells exposed to control PVDF (a and b) and MXene films (C and D) for 24 h reproduced with permission from Nature.

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Cleaning the environment with MXenes

“…Preventing MXene oxidation with antioxidants 6 and keeping it mild gives bandgap tunability, thus assuring efficient light activation. 51 More complex heterostructures can solve this issue and ensure near-infrared (NIR) activation. For instance, one-dimensional (1D)/2D heterostructure based on a combination of 1D cobalt nanowires (CoNWs) and MXene (Figure 4c).…”

Plasmon-enhanced photothermal properties of Au@Ti3C2Tx nanosheets for antibacterial applications

“…[13][14][15] They have a general chemical formula of M n+1 X n T x , where M is an early transition metal element (e.g., Ti, Zr, V, Nb, and Mo); n = 1-3; X represents C and N; and T x stands for surface terminations (e.g., -OH, -O, -F, and -Cl). Like other planar nanostructures, MXene NSs have large specific surface areas, sharp edges/corners to induce mechanical damage to pathogenic microorganisms, 16,17 and light-harvesting ability for photothermal conversion. 18,19 Despite the prospect of MXenes as PTAs, many of them exhibit limited photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), restricting their potencies in bacterial disinfection.…”

“…, –OH, –O, –F, and –Cl). Like other planar nanostructures, MXene NSs have large specific surface areas, sharp edges/corners to induce mechanical damage to pathogenic microorganisms, 16,17 and light-harvesting ability for photothermal conversion. 18,19 Despite the prospect of MXenes as PTAs, many of them exhibit limited photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE), restricting their potencies in bacterial disinfection.…”