Photoluminescent Ti₃C₂ MXene Quantum Dots for Multicolor Cellular Imaging

Abstract

The fabrication of photoluminescent Ti₃ C₂ MXene quantum dots (MQDs) by a facile hydrothermal method is reported, which may greatly extend the applications of MXene-based materials. Interestingly, the as-prepared MQDs show excitation-dependent photoluminescence spectra with quantum yields of up to ≈10% due to strong quantum confinement. The applications of MQDs as biocompatible multicolor cellular imaging probes and zinc ion sensors are demonstrated.