Review on Emerging Photothermal Cancer Therapy Using Two-Dimensional MXene Nanomaterials

Nanomaterial-assisted photothermal therapy (PTT) as a non-invasive cancer treatment has emerged as a promising strategy for the localized ablation of tumors while minimizing systemic toxicity. Among the various nanomaterials developed for this purpose, MXenes a class of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and nitrides have gained significant attention due to their strong light absorption, high photothermal energy conversion efficiency, low infrared emissivity, and surface tunability. These properties enable MXenes to serve as efficient photothermal agents capable of generating localized hyperthermia under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. This review provides a brief overview of the molecular structure and photothermal properties of MXenes and explains the mechanisms underlying their advantageous photothermal performance compared to other competing materials. It further discusses recent in vivo studies demonstrating complete tumor eradication through MXene-assisted PTT. Finally, future research directions are proposed to address current challenges and advance MXenes as platforms for safe, effective, and non-invasive cancer treatment.