Agnieszka Jastrzębska
Abstract
Despite intensive research on the application of MXenes in medicine, the knowledge concerning their mechanisms of bio-action is still not fully clear. In recent years, we have been analyzing the most explored MXene and the influence of its surface chemistry on various interactions with biological matter. Current results point to the conclusion that surface oxidation of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene into TixOy oxides is responsible for the observed bio-action. As material’s surface is responsible for its first impression on a mammalian cell in vitro, such an event must have a tremendous impact on further cell behavior. Therefore, by carefully studying the 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene etching and delamination pathway and allowing for oxidation, we were able to elucidate its underlying mechanisms of biological action.
Our findings give evidence that the synthesis, processing, and oxidative instability of 2D Ti3C2Tx MXene are responsible for the specific biological response in vitro. This knowledge is an essential tool for materials design and should be rationally used to develop future biotechnological applications of MXenes and related materials.
About Agnieszka Jastrzębska
Agnieszka Maria Jastrzębska PhD, ScD, Eng. is a Professor at the Warsaw University of Technology where she leads an interdisciplinary research team at the Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering. Her original research works are focused on nanotechnology and multifunctional hybrid structures for bioactive materials. The current fields of interest comprise biomedical, environmental, and catalytic applications of 2D MXenes with emphasis given to their cyto- and ecotoxicological effects, observed at relevant exposures.
In the last couple of years, she has also expanded her fields toward MXene-based water purification and photocatalysis. Within the field of MXenes, she published over 40 articles in journals such as Advanced Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Trends in Biotechnology, Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, etc. As an expert in 2D materials, MXenes and graphene, she is a member of scientific societies (MRS, ACS) and COST Action. She also acts as an Associate Editor in Frontiers of Chemistry and MRS Advances.