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Enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations increasingly depend on emulsion-based formulations that exhibit long-term stability under reservoir conditions while minimizing surfactant dosage. In this context, hybrid systems combining nanoparticles and surfactants offer a promising route to achieving both interfacial stability and formulation efficiency. Among potential nanoparticle candidates, Ti3C2Tx MXene exhibits high surface area and interfacial activity. However, its application in diesel-in-water Pickering emulsions under EOR-relevant conditions has not been explored. Challenges such as high hydrophilicity and strong electrostatic repulsion have limited the use of unmodified MXene as a standalone stabilizer in colloidal systems. To address this limitation, diesel-in-water Pickering emulsions were formulated using DL-Ti3C2Tx MXene combined with Tween 40 (0.5 wt%) and antifoam (0.15 wt%), aiming to investigate their synergistic stabilization behavior across MXene concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1.5 wt%. The MXene-only system exhibited complete and immediate phase separation, whereas the hybrid emulsions demonstrated markedly enhanced stability, with no phase separation observed at 0.1 and 0.5 wt% after 24 h. A concentration-dependent trend was evident. At lower MXene contents, interfacial adsorption improved, and droplet sizes remained small and uniform. At higher concentrations (≥ 1.0 wt%), aggregation increased, and demulsification became more pronounced. Interfacial tension decreased steadily with increasing MXene content, reaching 0.86 mN/m at 1.5 wt%, while zeta potential remained strongly negative (−47.7 mV at 0.5 wt%), indicating sufficient electrostatic repulsion. Rheological analysis revealed a transition to shear-thinning behavior at higher MXene contents, confirming the formation of internal network structures. Compared to other reported systems based on silica (SiO2), zinc oxide (ZnO), or functionalized MXenes, the MXene-Tween 40 formulation achieved superior short- and long-term emulsion stability without requiring surface modification or external stimuli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to report the successful stabilization of diesel-in-water Pickering emulsions using unmodified Ti3C2Tx MXene. These findings highlight the synergistic interaction between MXene and Tween 40 and present a robust, surfactant-lean formulation suitable for oilfield applications.

MXenes nanosheets with high conductivity, hydrophilicity, and excellent reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging ability have shown promise in treating various degenerative diseases correlated with abnormal ROS accumulation. Herein, the therapeutic potential of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets, which is the most widely investigated MXene material, in delaying osteoarthritis (OA) progression is demonstrated. In vitro experiments indicate the strong ROS scavenging capacity of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets and their acceptable biocompatibility. Ti3C2Tx nanosheets effectively protect chondrocytes from cell death induced by oxidative stress. In addition, Ti3C2Tx nanosheets demonstrate a prominent anti-inflammatory effect and the ability to restore homeostasis between anabolic activities and catabolic activities in chondrocytes. Furthermore, RNA sequencing reveals the potential mechanism underlying the Ti3C2Tx nanosheet-mediated therapeutic effect. Finally, the in vivo curative effect of Ti3C2Tx nanosheets is verified using a rat OA model. Histological staining and immunohistochemical analyses indicate that Ti3C2Tx nanosheets effectively ameliorate OA progression. Conclusively, the in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that Ti3C2Tx nanosheets could be a promising and effective option for OA treatment.

The electrodes of two-dimensional (2D) titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanosheet arrays were successfully fabricated for microRNA-155 detection. The (001) highly active crystal face was exposed to catalyze signaling molecules ascorbic acid (AA). Zero-dimensional (0D) titanium carbide quantum dots (Ti3C2Tx QDs) were modified to the electrode as co-catalysts and reduced the recombination rate of the charge carriers. Spectroscopic methods were used to determine the band structure of TiO2 and Ti3C2Tx QDs, showing that a type Ⅱ heterojunction was built between TiO2 and Ti3C2Tx QDs. Benefiting the advantages of materials, the sensing platform achieved excellent detection performance with a wide liner range, from 0.1 pM to 10 nM, and a low limit of detection of 25 fM (S/N = 3).