MXenes are a group of two-dimensional (2D), atomically thin transition metal carbides, nitrides and carbon nitrides with a variety of desirable characteristics. Due to their exceptional physiochemical characteristics and ultrathin lamellar structure, MXenes have shown excellent antibacterial capabilities. Two-dimensional Nb2CTx MXene has been recently analyzed for potential applications in antibacterial materials. Due to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria further materials or composite materials need to be explored. In this work, we report the antibacterial properties of a composite of Nb2CTx and silver, synthesized using electrostatic self-assembly method. This work also demonstrates the optimization of the etching of Nb2CTx MXene for different time intervals and delamination of Nb2CTx MXene by using two different solvents i.e., tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH) and isopropyl amine. The antibacterial characteristics of Nb2CTx MXene, delaminated Nb2CTx MXene and Nb2CTx-Ag composite of 1:1 and 2:1 were tested and compared. This study demonstrates that Nb2CTx-Ag composite shows higher antibacterial properties than Nb2CTx and delaminated Nb2CTx MXene and could reach an antibacterial activity of 98.5 % for S. aureus and 100 % for E. coli.
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