Cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane modified Ti₃C₂T_x MXene films

Bioactive antimicrobial films play important roles in various fields, such as biodegradable interfaces, tissue regeneration, and biomedical applications where preventing infection, biocompatibility, and immune rejection are important. In the present study, bioactive POSS-doped Ti₃C₂T_x MXene filled PLA composite film was prepared using the solution casting method for biomedical applications. The contact angle tests were investigated to reveal the usability of the thin films in biomedical applications. The angle decreased from 85.92° degrees in pure PLA thin films to 72.23° on POSS-doped Ti₃C₂T_x MXene films. The antibacterial performance, cytotoxicity and cell viability assessments of the prepared films have also been thoroughly investigated. Antibacterial tests revealed that the POSS-doped Ti₃C₂T_x MXene films effectively inhibited the growth of E. coli and S. aureus by 65.93% and 80.63%, respectively, within 4 h. These inhibition rates were observed as 58.32% and 54.97% for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively, after 24 h. Cytotoxicity assessments demonstrated that PMPs consistently showed higher cell viability due to the combination of POSS and Ti₃C₂T_x MXene. The obtained results suggest that the POSS-doped Ti₃C₂T_x MXene film is a promising candidate in cases where bacterial inhibition and high biocompatibility are of critical importance.