Bio-functionalization of Electrospun Polymeric Nanofibers by Ti3C2Tx MXene

Electrospinning (ES) is a promising method for generation of polymeric nanofibers. Membranes made out of electrospun nanofibers can be employed in regenerative bioengineering, e.g. for the development of neuronal conduits. For this, electrospun membranes have to support growth of eukaryotic cells while possibly inhibiting growth of prokaryotic cells and generation of bacterial biofilms. MXenes are a new class of 2D compounds with intriguing properties. They give promises for increasingly wide applications in various technical and biomedical fields, from the development of supercapacitors to new methods of treatment of cancer by photothermal therapy. We postulated that MXenes could be used for modifications of biodegradable polymer nanofibers in order to bring them new properties via the targeted introduction of particular chemical groups and modulation of their electroconductivity. Polylactic acid (PLA) was used to obtain electrospun nanofiber polymer membranes. MXenes were immobilized onto nanofibers, and the properties of the modified membranes were investigated. The modified electrospun membranes displayed features of biocompatibility and absence of toxicity, as well as increased electroconductivity.