Chapter 15 - MXenes and their composites for medical and biomedical applications

Abstract

MXenes are a new family of multifunctional two-dimensional (2D) materials with good hydrophilicity, metallic conductivity, and exceptional mechanical properties. The utility of MXenes has been extensively explored in fields such as sensors, energy storage, water purification, electrocatalysis, and photocatalysis. The 2D MXenes are composed of ultrathin atomic nanosheets materials derived from MAX-phase hexagonal carbides and nitrides and are used for various biomedical applications. This chapter briefly summarizes the body of literature on and discusses state-of-the-art innovations in the development of 2D MXenes and their composite materials for medical and biomedical applications. In particular, we discuss the utility of MXenes and their composites as diagnostic and therapeutic agents and in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, biosensing, antimicrobials, and biosafety evaluation. We strongly believe that these interdisciplinary efforts among biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering will provide in-depth understanding of MXenes and their composites as potential nanomedicines and thereby enable them to be extensively applied in the field of clinical biomedicine.