A water transfer printing method for contact lenses surface 2D MXene modification to resist bacterial infection and inflammation

Contact lenses (CLs) are prone to adhesion and invasion by pollutants and pathogenic bacteria, leading to infection and inflammatory diseases. However, the functionalization of CL (biological functions such as anti-fouling, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory) and maintaining its transparency still face great challenges. In this work, as a member of the MXenes family, vanadium carbide (V₂C) is modified onto CL via a water transfer printing method after the formation of a tightly arranged uniform film at the water surface under the action of the Marangoni effect. The coating interface is stable owing to the electrostatic forces. The V₂C-modified CL (V₂C@CL) maintains optical clarity while providing good biocompatibility, strong antioxidant properties, and anti-inflammatory activities. In vitro antibacterial experiments indicate that V₂C@CL shows excellent performance in bacterial anti-adhesion, sterilization, and anti-biofilm formation. Last, V₂C@CL displays notable advantages of bacteria elimination and inflammation removal in infectious keratitis treatment.