ROS- and pH-Responsive Polydopamine Functionalized Ti<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub>T<sub>x</sub> MXene-Based Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Nanocarriers with High Antibacterial Activity
Wei-Jin Zhang,
Shuwei Li,
Veena Vijayan,
Jun Seok Lee,
Sung Soo Park,
Xiuguo Cui,
Ildoo Chung,
Jaejun Lee,
Suk-kyun Ahn,
Jung Rae Kim,
In-Kyu Park,
Chang-Sik Ha
Affiliations
Wei-Jin Zhang
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Shuwei Li
School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Veena Vijayan
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea
Jun Seok Lee
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Sung Soo Park
Division of Advanced Materials Engineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan 47340, Republic of Korea
Xiuguo Cui
School of Material Science and Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, China
Ildoo Chung
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Jaejun Lee
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Suk-kyun Ahn
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Jung Rae Kim
School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
In-Kyu Park
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea
Chang-Sik Ha
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Pusan National University, Busan 46241, Republic of Korea
Premature drug release and poor controllability is a challenge in the practical application of tumor therapy, which may lead to poor chemotherapy efficacy and severe adverse effects. In this study, a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-cleavable nanoparticle system (MXene-TK-DOX@PDA) was designed for effective chemotherapy drug delivery and antibacterial applications. Doxorubicin (DOX) was conjugated to the surface of (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES)-functionalized MXene via an ROS-cleavable diacetoxyl thioketal (TK) linkage. Subsequently, the surfaces of the MXene nanosheets were coated with pH-responsive polydopamine (PDA) as a gatekeeper. PDA endowed the MXene-TK-DOX@PDA nanoparticles with superior biocompatibility and stability. The MXene-TK-DOX@PDA nanoparticles had an ultrathin planar structure and a small lateral size of approximately 180 nm. The as-synthesized nanoparticles demonstrated outstanding photothermal conversion efficiency, superior photothermal stability, and a remarkable extinction coefficient (23.3 L g−1 cm−1 at 808 nm). DOX exhibited both efficient ROS-responsive and pH-responsive release performance from MXene-TK-DOX@PDA nanoparticles due to the cleavage of the thioketal linker. In addition, MXene-TK-DOX@PDA nanoparticles displayed high antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) within 5 h. Taken together, we hope that MXene-TK-DOX@PDA nanoparticles will enrich the drug delivery system and significantly expand their applications in the biomedical field
