Plasmonic MXene-based nanocomposites exhibiting photothermal therapeutic effects with lower acute toxicity than pure MXene

Abstract

Purpose:

Here, we fabricated two plasmonic 2D Ti₃C₂T_x-based nanocomposites (Au/MXene and Au/Fe₃O₄/MXene) with similarly high anti-cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) capabilities, but with less in vivo toxicity than a pure MXene.

Methods:

Au/MXene was synthesized by in situ reduction of tetrachloroauric acid using NaBH₄ on Ti₃C₂T_x flakes. For targeted PTT, magnetic Au/Fe₃O₄/MXene was synthesized via a reaction between freshly prepared magnetite Fe₃O₄ NPs and MXene solution, followed by in situ integration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs).

Results:

Morphological characterization by XRD, SEM, and TEM revealed the successful synthesis of Au/MXene and Au/Fe₃O₄/MXene. Both new composites exhibited a significant in vitro dose-dependent PTT effect against human breast cancer cells MCF7. Interestingly, in vivo acute toxicity assays using zebrafish embryos indicated that Au/MXene and Au/Fe₃O₄/MXene had less embryonic mortality (LC₅₀ ≫ 1000 µg/mL) than pure MXene (LC₅₀=257.46 µg/mL).

Conclusion:

Our new Au/MXene and Au/Fe₃O₄/MXene nanocomposites could be safer and more suitable than the pure MXene for biomedical applications, especially when targeted PTT is warranted.

Keywords:

• MXene
• gold
• magnetite
• MCF7
• photothermal therapy
• acute toxicity

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Qatar University under High Impact-Fund Program Grant QUHI-CAS-19/20-1. The authors are thankful to S. Suslov, A. Samara at the Core lab of QEERI/HBKU, Doha, Qatar, for TEM, DLS, and VSM analysis. The publication of this article was funded by the Qatar National Library. The authors have neither other relevant affiliations nor financial involvement with any entity or organization with a financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.