Facile Fabrication of Titanium Carbide (Ti3C2)-Bismuth Vanadate (BiVO4) Nano-Coupled Oxides for Anti-cancer Activity

Abstract

BackgroundMXene is a newly discovered substance consisting of 2D transition metal carbides or nitrides, produced through the disintegration and etching of aluminum layers. It possesses numerous properties, including a high surface area, conductivity, strength, stiffness, negative zeta potential, and excellent volumetric capacitance. MXene is utilized in detecting anti-cancer medicine, while bismuth vanadate (BiVO 4 ) is synthesized to form an optimized material for anti-cancer activity applications. BiVO 4 exhibits visible light absorption, strong chemical stability, and non-toxic properties. However, when loaded onto target stem cells, it can cause skin and respiratory irritation. AimThis study aimed to evaluate the facile fabrication of titanium carbide (Ti 3 C 2 )-BiVO 4 nanomaterials coupled with oxides for anti-cancer activity. Moreover, it aimed to create Ti 3 C 2 -BiVO 4 nanomaterials in combination with oxides using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to assess their potential as efficient and targeted anti-cancer agents. Methods and materialsTo prepare the 2D Ti 3 C 2 MXene, 2.5 g of titanium aluminum carbide (Ti 3 AlC 2 ) powder was dissolved in 60 mL of a 40% hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) container. The etching process was made more efficient and completed in 24 hours by using a magnetic stirring system to keep the mixture stirred and heated continuously. The centrifugation was performed at 4000 rpm for five minutes. Subsequently, deionized water was used to wash the solution many times until its pH reached around 7. The appropriate Ti 3 C 2 powder was made by vacuum drying the acquired sediment at 80°C for 24 hours. Monoclinic BiVO 4 samples were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. Typically, 10 mmol of Bi(NO 3 ) 3 .5H 2 O was dissolved in 100 mL of a 2 mol/L HNO 3 solution and stirred uniformly. Subsequently, 10 mmol of ammonium metavanadate (NH 4 VO 3 ) was added to the mixed solution. After being stirred for one hour, the mixture was transferred into a 100 mL sealed Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclave at 180°C for 16 hours. After cooling to room temperature, the sediment was washed three times with deionized water, ethanol, and acetone, respectively. Finally, the suspension was dried at 80°C, followed by calcination at 450°C for three hours to obtain BiVO 4 . Ti 3 C 2 -BiVO 4 heterostructures were prepared by surface modification Ti 3 C 2 using BiVO 4 suspensions by a simple, cost-effective approach. ResultsTi 3 C 2 nanosheets were observed with BiVO 4 particles, and the high crystalline nature of the compound was confirmed after XRD analysis and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. The compound was found to be pure without any impurities and exhibited anti-cancer activity.