MXene Nanosheet-Enhanced Chitin Aerogel Spheres for Bilirubin Adsorption

Excessive bilirubin in human blood can cause irreversible damage to the patient’s brain and nervous system. Herein, chitin/MXene (Ch/MX) composite aerogel spheres were designed by supercritical CO2 technology to remove bilirubin safely, quickly, and efficiently. In this study, Ti3C2 with 4 nm thickness was uniformly dispersed in the chitin fibers as a monolayer nanofiller and tightly connected with the chitin fibers, which significantly improved the mechanical strength and adsorption capacity of the aerogel spheres. The Ch/MX aerogel spheres could withstand 25,000 times their own weight. Compared with chitin aerogel spheres, the equilibrium time for bilirubin adsorption by Ch/MX aerogel spheres was shortened by 33% and the adsorption capacity was increased by 40%. In addition, Ch/MX aerogel spheres still possess a high adsorption capacity of 142.86 mg/g in bilirubin solution with BSA protein up to 80 mg/mL. Compared with commercial products used clinically, Ch/MX has the advantages of high adsorption capacity and high interference resistance. Compared with our previous chitinous/graphene aerogel spheres, Ch/MX has the advantages of low dosage of functional materials, high bilirubin adsorption rate, and good biocompatibility. This study demonstrates the advantages of MXene as a nanofiller for adsorbing bilirubin and promotes the development and application of inorganic 2D nanomaterials in the clinical treatment of hyperbilirubinemia.