Photothermal Excitation of Neurons Using MXene: Cellular Stress and Phototoxicity Evaluation.

Understanding the communication of individual neurons necessitates precise control of neural activity. Photothermal modulation is a remote and non-genetic technique to control neural activity with high spatiotemporal resolution. The local heat release by photothermally active nanomaterial will change the membrane properties of the interfaced neurons during light illumination.

TiCT MXene Flakes for Optical Control of Neuronal Electrical Activity.

Understanding cellular electrical communications in both health and disease necessitates precise subcellular electrophysiological modulation. Nanomaterial-assisted photothermal stimulation was demonstrated to modulate cellular activity with high spatiotemporal resolution. Ideal candidates for such an application are expected to have high absorbance at the near-infrared window, high photothermal conversion efficiency, and straightforward scale-up of production to allow future translation.

Modified MAX Phase Synthesis for Environmentally Stable and Highly Conductive TiC MXene.

One of the primary factors limiting further research and commercial use of the two-dimensional (2D) titanium carbide MXene TiC, as well as MXenes in general, is the rate at which freshly made samples oxidize and degrade when stored as aqueous suspensions. Here, we show that including excess aluminum during synthesis of the TiAlC MAX phase precursor leads to TiAlC grains with improved crystallinity and carbon stoichiometry (termed Al-TiAlC). MXene nanosheets (Al-TiC) produced from this precursor are of higher quality, as evidenced by their increased resistance to oxidation and an increase in their electronic conductivity up to 20 000 S/cm.