The 10th anniversary of MXenes: Challenges and prospects for their surface modification toward future biotechnological applications.

A broad family of two-dimensional (2D) materials - carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of early transition metals, called MXenes, became a newcomer in the flatland at the turn of 2010 and 2011 (over ten years ago). Their unique physicochemical properties made them attractive for many applications, highly boosting the development of various fields, including biotechnological. However, MXenes' functional features that impact their bioactivity and toxicity are still not fully well understood.

Joint forces of direct, single particle, CE- and HPLC-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry techniques for the examination of gold nanoparticle accumulation, distribution and changes inside human cells.

The intracellular localization and transformation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are among the crucial aspects in future applications in cancer therapy. In the context of the study, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)-based techniques were effectively applied to reveal the fate of AuNPs internalized in cancerous MCF-7 cells. Direct ICP-MS was used to obtain quantitative information about the distribution rate of gold from the AuNPs in the cells, namely their membranes, cytosol as well as nuclei.

Future Applications of MXenes in Biotechnology, Nanomedicine, and Sensors.

The past few years have seen significant developments in the chemistry and potential biological applications of 2D materials. This review focuses on recent advances in the biotechnological and biomedical applications of MXenes, which are 2D carbides, nitrides, and carbonitrides of transition metals. Nanomaterials based on MXenes can be used as therapeutics for anticancer treatment, in photothermal therapy as drug delivery platforms, or as nanodrugs without any additional modification.

An improved protocol for ICP-MS-based assessment of the cellular uptake of metal-based nanoparticles.

Along with a growing interest in biomedical applications of metal-based nanoparticles, there is a compelling need in systematic information on their behavior in human body systems, preferably at the cellular level. However, in most of the in-vitro uptake experiments, the nanomaterial was applied in its native form that in reality can hardly reach the cell. In this work, we developed an improved procedure in which prior to addition to the cells the particles are converted into the protein conjugates by incubation in human serum.

2D TiC (MXene) as a novel highly efficient and selective agent for photothermal therapy.

Photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown significant potential for anti-cancer modality. In this report, according to our best knowledge, we explore for the first time TiC-based MXene as a novel, highly efficient and selective agent for photothermal therapy (PTT). TiC superficially modified with PEG was obtained from the layered, commercially available TiAlC MAX phase in the process of etching aluminum layers using concentrated HF, and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HREM) as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA-XPS).