Bioelectronics and Beyond: MXenes for Sensing, Treating and Restoring Human Health

MXenes have sparked a rapidly growing interest for applications in biomedical research and medicine. Alongside with the remarkable combination of properties and scalable processability, the growing selection of tunable MXene species, and the increasing recognition of their broad biocompatibility are paving the way for the integration of MXenes in high-performance sensing and therapeutic platforms.<br/>In this talk I will first highlight the most recent developments of MXene-based biomedical technologies, particularly in the areas of sensing, therapeutics, and regenerative medicine. Then, I will present our most recent work on Ti₃C₂T_xMXene-based wearable and implantable bioelectronics for recording and stimulating brain and muscle activity. Due the combination of high conductivity and low electrochemical impedance, these human-scale MXene bioelectronics can establish highly conformable interfaces with the body without the need for any conductive adhesives and gels that are typically required with conventional metal-based electrodes. Furthermore, the low density and low magnetic susceptibility mismatch between Ti₃C₂T_xand biological tissues enable artifact-free clinical imaging with magnetic resonance (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), which is precluded when using metals such as Pt. Finally, we recently demonstrated that Ti₃C₂T_x films and devices can be effectively sterilized with clinical thermal and chemical sterilization processes, without any degradation of their properties and structure.<br/>To illustrate the potential of Ti₃C₂T_xMXene bioelectronics, I will review examples of application in cognitive neuroscience research, clinical neurological monitoring, and neuromuscular rehabilitation. In conclusion of the talk, I will discuss the opportunities and challenges for clinical translation and commercialization of MXene-based medical technologies.