Algae Extraction Controllable Delamination of Vanadium Carbide Nanosheets with Enhanced Near-Infrared Photothermal Performance.

The two-dimensional (2D) vanadium carbide (V 2 C) MXene has shown great potential as a photothermal agent (PTA) for photothermal therapy (PTT). However, the use of V 2 C in PTT is limited by the harsh synthesis condition and low photothermal conversion efficiency (PTCE). Herein, to address such an issue, we report a completely different green delamination method using algae extraction to intercalate and delaminate V 2 AlC to produce mass V 2 C nanosheets (NSs) with a high yield (90%). The resulting V 2 C NSs demonstrated good structural integrity and remarkably high absorption in near-infrared (NIR) region with a PTCE as high as 48% under an 808-laser irradiation. It is superior to the previously reported MXene photothermal agents, including Mo 2 C (42.9%), Nb 2 C (36.4% at NIR-I and 45.65% at NIR-II), Ta 4 C 3 (44.7%), and even comparable to the cutting-edge photo absorption agents, such as gold-based materials, and carbon-based nanostructures. Systemic in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate the V 2 C NSs severe as efficient PTA for photoacoustic (PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided photothermal hyperthermia of cancer. This work provides a cost-effectively, environment-friendly, and high-yield disassembly approach of MAX, opening a new avenue to develop MXenes with desirable properties for a myriad of applications.