Synchronous enhancement of antimicrobial and mechanical properties of natural rubber by MXene functionalized with SiO2

Zhen-Wei Guo; Yan-Fen Mo; Xiao-Ning Tang; Yu-Hui Xie; Dong Feng; Feng Wu; Yi Mei; Delong Xie

doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140074

Synchronous enhancement of antimicrobial and mechanical properties of natural rubber by MXene functionalized with SiO₂

Int J Biol Macromol. 2025 Jan 22:299:140074. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140074. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhen-Wei Guo¹, Yan-Fen Mo¹, Xiao-Ning Tang², Yu-Hui Xie¹, Dong Feng¹, Feng Wu³, Yi Mei¹, Delong Xie⁴

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials, The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Phosphorus Chemical Engineering of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Technological Innovation Center of Phosphorus Resources, Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Sustainable Polymers, Yunnan 650500, China.
² Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China.
³ Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials, The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Phosphorus Chemical Engineering of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Technological Innovation Center of Phosphorus Resources, Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Sustainable Polymers, Yunnan 650500, China; Engineering Research Center of Biodegradable Polymers, Educational Commission of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China. Electronic address: fengwu@kust.edu.cn.
⁴ Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Yunnan 650500, China; Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Energy Saving in Phosphorus Chemical Engineering and New Phosphorus Materials, The Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Phosphorus Chemical Engineering of Yunnan Province, Yunnan Technological Innovation Center of Phosphorus Resources, Yunnan International Joint Laboratory of Sustainable Polymers, Yunnan 650500, China; Engineering Research Center of Biodegradable Polymers, Educational Commission of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China. Electronic address: cedlxie@kust.edu.cn.

PMID: 39855522
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.140074

Abstract

The development of natural rubber (NR) gloves with superior antibacterial and enhanced mechanical properties is critical for safeguarding healthcare personnel. In this study, Ti-based MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) nanosheets were employed for the first time as an antibacterial agent to improve the antimicrobial performance of NR. Through SiO₂ intercalation via electronic assembly, the antibacterial efficacy of MXene was significantly boosted, achieving 100 % lethality against E. coli and 90.95 % against S. aureus. Mechanistic studies revealed that silica nanoparticles primarily enhanced MXene's ability to induce physical damage and generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). The positively charged MXene-SiO₂ nanosheets were then incorporated into negatively charged natural latex to form NR nanocomposites with a hierarchical MXene structure. Compared to pristine NR, the nanocomposites exhibited 100 % lethality against E. coli and 74.72 % against S. aureus with the addition of just 0.5 phr MXene-SiO₂. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of NR were enhanced, with the modulus at 50 % and 100 % strain increasing by 22 % and 15 %, respectively, while elongation at break improved to 790 %. This work not only presents a novel approach for enhancing the antibacterial and mechanical properties of NR, but also deepens the understanding of MXene's antibacterial mechanism and its potential applications in healthcare materials.

Keywords: Antibacterial; MXene; Natural rubber nanocomposites; Physical damage; ROS generation.