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Advanced membranes that enable ultrafast water flux while demonstrating anti-biofouling characteristics can facilitate sustainable water/wastewater treatment processes. MXenes, two-dimensional (2D) metal carbides and nitrides, have attracted attention for applications in water/wastewater treatment. In this work, we reported the antibacterial properties of micrometer-thick titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 T x ) MXene membranes prepared by filtration on a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) support. The bactericidal properties of Ti 3 C 2 T x modified membranes were tested against Escherichia coli ( E . coli ) and Bacillus subtilis ( B . subtilis ) by bacterial growth on the membrane surface and its exposure to bacterial suspensions. The antibacterial rate of fresh Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene membranes reaches more than 73% against B . subtilis and 67% against E . coli as compared with that of control PVDF, while aged Ti 3 C 2 T x membrane showed over 99% growth inhibition of both bacteria under same conditions. Flow cytometry showed about 70% population of dead and compromised cells after 24 h of exposure of both bacterial strains. The damage of the cell surfaces was also revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis, respectively. The demonstrated antibacterial activity of MXene coated membranes against common waterborne bacteria, promotes their potential application as anti-biofouling membrane in water and wastewater treatment processes.

Novel 2D Ti3C2Tx (MXene)-reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanofibers have been successfully fabricated by an electrospinning technique. The high aspect ratio, hydrophilic surfaces, and metallic conductivity of delaminated MXene nanosheet render it promising nanofiller for high performance nanocomposites. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were used to improve the mechanical properties of the nanofibers. The obtained electrospun nanofibers had diameter from 174 to 194 nm depending on ratio between PVA, CNC and MXene. Dynamic mechanical analysis demonstrated an increase in the elastic modulus from 392 MPa for neat PVA fibers to 855 MPa for fibers containing CNC and MXene at 25°C. Moreover, PVA nanofibers containing 0.14 wt. % Ti3C2Tx exhibited dc conductivity of 0.8 mS/cm conductivity which is superior compared to similar composites prepared using methods other than electrospinning. Improved mechanical and electrical characteristics of the Ti3C2Tx /CNC/PVA composites make them viable materials for high performance energy applications.

Here, we fabricated two plasmonic 2D Ti C T -based nanocomposites (Au/MXene and Au/Fe O /MXene) with similarly high anti-cancer photothermal therapy (PTT) capabilities, but with less in vivo toxicity than a pure MXene. Au/MXene was synthesized by in situ reduction of tetrachloroauric acid using NaBH on Ti C T flakes. For targeted PTT, magnetic Au/Fe O /MXene was synthesized via a reaction between freshly prepared magnetite Fe O NPs and MXene solution, followed by in situ integration of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Morphological characterization by XRD, SEM, and TEM revealed the successful synthesis of Au/MXene and Au/Fe O /MXene. Both new composites exhibited a significant in vitro dose-dependent PTT effect against human breast cancer cells MCF7. Interestingly, in vivo acute toxicity assays using zebrafish embryos indicated that Au/MXene and Au/Fe O /MXene had less embryonic mortality (LC ≫ 1000 µg/mL) than pure MXene (LC =257.46 µg/mL). Our new Au/MXene and Au/Fe O /MXene nanocomposites could be safer and more suitable than the pure MXene for biomedical applications, especially when targeted PTT is warranted.

The properties of two-dimensional (2D) layered membrane systems can be medullated by the stacking arrangement and the heterostructure composition of the membrane. This largely affects the performance and stability of such membranes. Here, we have used first-principle density functional theory calculations to conduct a comparative study of two heterostructural bilayer systems of the 2D-MXene (Ti3C2T2, T = F, O, and OH) sheets with graphene and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). For all considered surface terminations, the binding energy of the MXene/graphene and MXene/AgNPs bilayers increases as compared with graphene/graphene and MXene/MXene bilayer structures. Such strong interlayer interactions are due to profound variations of electrostatic potential across the layers. Larger interlayer binding energies in MXene/graphene systems were obtained even in the presence of water molecules, indicating enhanced stability of such a hybrid system against delamination. We also studied the structural properties of Ti3C2X2 MXene (X = F, O and OH) decorated with silver nanoclusters Agn (n ≤ 6). We found that regardless of surface functionalization, Ag nanoclusters were strongly adsorbed on the surface of MXene. In addition, Ag nanoparticles enhanced the binding energy between MXene layers. These findings can be useful in enhancing the structural properties of MXene membranes for water purification applications.

The global prevalence of emerging pollutants (EPs) in aqueous systems presents a significant environmental threat that conventional treatments cannot adequately address. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of biochar-based systems as a sustainable solution, charting a path from foundational material science to advanced, data-driven engineering. We critically evaluate these solutions through a tiered framework: starting with Tier 1 (Pristine Biochar), which is highly reliant on physisorption mechanisms; moving to Tier 2 (Modified Biochar) with enhanced surface properties through activation and/or heteroatom doping; and culminating in Tier 3 (Advanced Composites) incorporating materials like nanoparticles and graphene, which offer superior removal mechanisms, including chemisorption and photocatalysis. A central focus is placed on the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which enables predictive modelling and optimization to accelerate the design of tailored, high-performance adsorbents. Beyond performance, this review delves into the critical aspects of scalability, presenting a detailed analysis of the economic trade-offs and environmental/ecotoxicity considerations that govern real-world deployment. We demonstrate how this tiered approach leads to targeted solutions for challenging EPs, such as cationic composites for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and engineered surface porosity for the physical entrapment of micro- and nanoplastics. Ultimately, we advocate for an AI-guided strategy, prioritizing sustainable pristine biochar where effective and strategically deploying advanced composites as a last resort. This work concludes by outlining a roadmap for future research, emphasizing the need for standardized and robust datasets, green synthesis protocols, and rigorous safety assessments to ensure the responsible development of these next-generation water treatment technologies. Graphical Abstract Highlights Biochar is a highly tunable platform whose engineered forms enable diverse mechanisms for emerging pollutant removal. A hybrid machine-learning–driven framework was proposed to guide the process from feedstock selection to selective pollutant removal. Despite superior performance, advanced composites face scalability hurdles due to cost and ecotoxicity compared to pristine biochar.

Obstacles in the membrane-based separation field are mainly related to membrane fouling. This study involved the synthesis and utilization of covalently crosslinked MXene/cellulose acetate mixed matrix membranes with MXene at different concentrations (CCAM-0% to CCAM-12%) for water purification applications. The membranes’ water flux, dye, and protein rejection performances were compared using dead-end (DE) and crossflow (CF) filtration. The fabricated membranes, especially CCAM-10%, exhibited high hydrophilicity, good surface roughness, significantly high water flux, high water uptake, and high porosity. A significantly higher flux was observed in CF filtration relative to DE filtration. Moreover, in CF filtration, the CCAM-10% membrane exhibited 96.60% and 99.49% rejection of methyl green (MG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), respectively, while maintaining a flux recovery ratio of 67.30% and an irreversible fouling ratio at (Rir) of 32.70, indicating good antifouling performance. Hence, this study suggests that covalent modification of cellulose acetate membranes with MXene significantly improves the performance and fouling resistance of membranes for water filtration in CF mode relative to DE mode.

Among the emerging nanomaterials, 2D nanomaterials have attracted increasing attention recently following the discovery of graphene, which quickly placed among the most promising materials due to its distinctive structures and novel properties. [...]the discovery of graphene has paved the way for the synthesis of various 2D materials. [...]of the quantum confinement effects, and the dependence on material’s composition, atomic arrangement, and layer thickness, these 2D nanomaterials display an array of exceptional electronic, optical, physical, and chemical properties that are quite unique. [...]by developing advanced, functional 2D nanomaterial-based membranes, we may achieve a new level of efficiency, selectivity, sensitivity, and mechanical stability, all of which are critical for environmental remediation applications. Density functional theory calculations also showed that decorating MXene with Ag nanoparticles increased the binding energy of stacked MXene layers, which may be beneficial for improving the operational stability of MXene membranes used in water treatment applications.

Background: Lactate Dehydrogenase C (LDHC) is a promising therapeutic target due to its highly tumor-specific expression, immunogenicity, and oncogenic functions. We previously showed that LDHC silencing in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells enhances treatment response to DNA-damage response-related drugs, supporting its therapeutic potential. However, no selective LDHC inhibitors exist, highlighting the need for innovative targeting strategies. Methods: We assessed the physicochemical properties and evaluated the delivery efficiency, anti-tumor activity, and safety of four cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs)—R10, 10R-RGD, cRGD-10R, and iRGD-10R—for siRNA-mediated LDHC silencing in TNBC. Clonogenic assays were used to evaluate effects on olaparib sensitivity, and TNBC zebrafish xenografts were utilized to study in vivo anti-tumor activity. Results: All CPP:siRNA complexes formed uniform nanocomplexes (129–168 nm) with low polydispersity indices (<0.25) and positive zeta potentials (+6.47 to +29.6 mV). Complexes remained stable in human serum for 24 h and showed no significant cytotoxicity in TNBC and non-cancerous cell lines. The 10R-RGD and cRGD-10R:siLDHC complexes achieved 40% LDHC protein knockdown, reduced TNBC clonogenicity by 30–36%, and enhanced olaparib sensitivity. Treatment of TNBC zebrafish xenografts with 10R-RGD or cRGD-10R:siLDHC complexes significantly reduced tumor growth by approximately 50% without major toxicity. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CPP-mediated siRNA delivery enables selective LDHC silencing with tumor growth inhibition in triple-negative breast cancer models. This approach represents a novel, effective, and safe proof-of-concept therapeutic strategy to target LDHC, with potential translational relevance as a standalone therapy or in combination with common anti-cancer drugs.

This work was supported by the NPRP grant [#9-254-2-120] from the Qatar National Research Fund, a Member of Qatar Foundation. The study was also partially supported by the grants [GCC-2017-001] given to G.K.N. and [QUCG-CHS-2018n2019-1] given to G.P.

Biocompatible and multifunctional stretchable hydrogels have attracted growing interests for applications including electronic skin and soft robotics. This paper presents a conductive and humidity sensitive hydrogel formed by poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). Different from previous approaches where microwave-assisted aldol condensation reactions are needed to form the material, in this work, we demonstrate forming the hydrogel through only freeze–thaw process. The resulting hydrogel features a gauge factor (~ 0.8), which is higher than that of the strain sensor fabricated through traditional approach during the strain range up to 40%. Furthermore, the structural, elastic, thermal and electrical properties of the polymer blend are evaluated so the operating environment can be identified. Our experimental results show that elasticity of the blend reduces in air due to drying that cannot be completely restored. Moreover, the conductivity of the hydrogel changes with different ambient temperatures and humidity. Finally, the hydrogel is explored as a humidity sensor.