Green-Synthesized MXenes: New Opportunities for Low-Friction Biomedical Hydrogels
Our team closely follows emerging developments in MXene research and is pleased to highlight a recent publication demonstrating the promising potential of sustainably produced MXenes for advanced biomedical materials.
The study, “Green-Synthesized MXenes Enable Low-Friction, Cytocompatible PVA-Chitosan Hydrogels,” explores the incorporation of HF-free, green-synthesized Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXenes into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-chitosan hydrogels. The research demonstrates that this combination can produce highly hydrated, mechanically enhanced, cytocompatible materials with significantly improved tribological properties.
According to the authors, the resulting MXene-reinforced hydrogels demonstrated excellent compatibility with fibroblasts and human chondrocytes, increased swelling capacity, enhanced mechanical performance, and substantially reduced friction compared with conventional hydrogel materials.
These properties are particularly relevant to the development of biomaterials for cartilage tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and other biomedical interfaces, where hydration, mechanical stability, biocompatibility, and low friction are essential.
An especially interesting aspect of the work is the combination of green MXene synthesis with advanced hydrogel engineering. Moving toward HF-free and more sustainable approaches to MXene production could help expand the application of these two-dimensional materials in biomedical technologies while addressing important considerations related to processing and material safety.
We believe this research represents an exciting direction for the MXene field and highlights the growing potential of sustainably produced MXenes beyond traditional applications.
At MRC we congratulate the authors on this important contribution and look forward to further developments at the intersection of MXene technology, sustainable materials synthesis, and biomedical engineering.
Read the full article: “Green-Synthesized MXenes Enable Low-Friction, Cytocompatible PVA-Chitosan Hydrogels.” https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.151144
The study, “Green-Synthesized MXenes Enable Low-Friction, Cytocompatible PVA-Chitosan Hydrogels,” explores the incorporation of HF-free, green-synthesized Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXenes into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-chitosan hydrogels. The research demonstrates that this combination can produce highly hydrated, mechanically enhanced, cytocompatible materials with significantly improved tribological properties.
Our collaborative work on porous Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase for efficient Ti₃C₂Tₓ MXene synthesis has been ranked among the Top 10 most cited papers in the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology (IJACT).
We highly recommend checking out new important paper: “Critical Assessment of Intrinsic Antibacterial Properties and Photothermal Therapy Potential of MXene Nanosheets.” Along with the key findings, we’re also excited to share the Supplementary Cover Art — it beautifully illustrates our vision of MXene-based targeted complexes that can eliminate bacteria via photothermal conversion under near-infrared irradiation.
Do MXene nanosheets possess intrinsic antibacterial activity? A systematic study of high-quality Ti-, V-, and Nb-based MXenes reveals negligible inherent antimicrobial effects while highlighting their strong potential for targeted photothermal antibacterial therapy.
Highlights
We are excited to share that our Carbon-Ukraine (Y-Carbon LLC) company participated in the I2DM Summit and Expo 2025 at Khalifa University in Abu-Dhabi! Huge thanks to Research & Innovation Center for Graphene and 2D Materials (RIC2D) for hosting such a high-level event.It was an incredible opportunity to meet brilliant researchers and innovators working on the next generation of 2D materials. The insights and energy from the summit will definitely drive new ideas in our own development.
Carbon-Ukraine team had the unique opportunity to visit XPANCEO - a Dubai-based deep tech startup company that is developing the first smart contact lenses with AR vision and health monitoring features, working on truly cutting-edge developments.
Our Carbon-Ukraine team (Y-Carbon LLC) are thrilled to start a new RIC2D project MX-Innovation in collaboration with Drexel University Yury Gogotsi and Khalifa University! Amazing lab tours to project collaborators from Khalifa University, great discussions, strong networking, and a wonderful platform for future collaboration.
MXenes potential applications include sensors, wound healing materials, and drug delivery systems. A recent study explored how different synthesis methods affect the safety and performance of MXenes. By comparing etching conditions and intercalation strategies, researchers discovered that fine-tuning the surface chemistry of MXenes plays a crucial role in improving biocompatibility. These results provide practical guidelines for developing safer MXenes and bring the field one step closer to real biomedical applications.
An excellent review highlighting how MXene-based sensors can help tackle one of today’s pressing environmental challenges — heavy metal contamination. Excited to see such impactful work moving the field of environmental monitoring and sensor technology forward!
Carbon-Ukraine team was truly delighted to take part in the kickoff meeting of the ATHENA Project (Advanced Digital Engineering Methods to Design MXene-based Nanocomposites for Electro-Magnetic Interference Shielding in Space), supported by NATO through the Science for Peace and Security Programme.
Exellent news, our joint patent application with Drexel University on highly porous MAX phase precursor for MXene synthesis published. Congratulations and thanks to all team involved!
Our team was very delighted to take part in International Symposium "The MXene Frontier: Transformative Nanomaterials Shaping the Future" – the largest MXene event in Europe this year!