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Updated: May 19, 2026
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Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activities of Nanoparticles and Nanostructured Surfaces In Vitro
Published on: April 21, 2023
Exploring the Antimicrobial Potential of Vanadium-Based MXenes for Biomedical Applications
Roberto Rosato1, Andreas Rosenkranz2,3, Giordano Perini4
1Department of Basic Biotechnological Sciences, Intensive and Perioperative Clinics, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Microbiologyopen
|May 18, 2026
Summary
Vanadium-based MXenes (V₂CTₓ and V₄C₃Tₓ) show moderate antimicrobial effects against E. coli and S. aureus, primarily through physical membrane disruption. These nanomaterials exhibit good biocompatibility, suggesting potential for antimicrobial applications with further research.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- MXenes are emerging 2D nanomaterials with antimicrobial potential.
- Most research focuses on Ti-based MXenes, leaving other compositions underexplored.
- Vanadium-based MXenes (V₂CTₓ, V₄C₃Tₓ) present an alternative for antimicrobial investigations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and evaluate the antibacterial and biocompatibility profiles of V₂CTₓ and V₄C₃Tₓ.
- To investigate the antibacterial mechanisms, including physical disruption and oxidative stress.
- To assess the efficacy in in-vitro infection models using epithelial and macrophage cells.
Main Methods:
- Chemical and structural characterization of V₂CTₓ and V₄C₃Tₓ.
- Antibacterial activity assessment using colony-forming units (CFUs) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) under static and dynamic conditions.
- Cytotoxicity evaluation via lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release and crystal violet (CV) assays.
- In-vitro infection models with Caco-2 and J774 cells to measure intracellular bacterial burden.
- Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production assessment.
Main Results:
- V₂CTₓ and V₄C₃Tₓ demonstrated concentration- and condition-dependent antibacterial activity.
- Dynamic incubation enhanced bacterial reduction, supporting a physical membrane disruption mechanism ('nano-knife').
- Vanadium-based MXenes significantly reduced intracellular bacteria in epithelial cells compared to macrophages.
- No significant ROS stimulation was observed, indicating physical interactions as the primary antimicrobial mechanism.
- Good biocompatibility was observed for both V₂CTₓ and V₄C₃Tₓ.
Conclusions:
- Vanadium-based MXenes (V₂CTₓ, V₄C₃Tₓ) are moderately effective antimicrobial nanomaterials with good biocompatibility.
- The primary antimicrobial mechanism appears to be physical disruption of bacterial membranes.
- Further research using standardized models is needed to fully elucidate their antimicrobial potential.
- These findings highlight vanadium-based MXenes as promising candidates for antimicrobial applications.
