Biodegradable and photostable Nb2C MXene quantum dots as promising nanofluorophores for metal ions sensing and fluorescence imaging

Abstract Conventional fluorescent probes are either easily photobleached or non-biodegradable, which often leads to the unstable fluorescence signal output and long-term biological toxicity. Therefore, the development of novel fluorescent materials with both excellent photostability and biodegradability is of great significance for further broadening their application in numerous research fields. In this work, Nb2C quantum dots (Nb2C QDs) with pristine crystallographic structures of Nb2C MXene phases and surface oxygen-containing species are synthesized by an ultrasound assisted physicochemical exfoliation in tetrapropylammonium hydroxide. Detailed analyses indicate that the Nb2C QDs not only possess excellent chemical- and photo-stable fluorescence emission but also achieve successful application in fluorescence sensing of heavy metal ions and fluorescence imaging. More importantly, it is confirmed that the Nb2C QDs present high biocompatibility and unique biodegradation property responsive to human myeloperoxidase, implying the application safety of Nb2C QDs in vivo. Under the background of ever-growing and stringent requirements for biosafety and technical stability, the chemical- and photo-stability, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and most importantly the promising fluorescence sensing/imaging characteristic of the obtained Nb2C QDs may argue well for their future applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical diagnosis, visual display, and anti-counterfeiting.