Ternary carbides ZrxAlCx−1: Innovative sol-gel synthesis and their biomedical applications

Abstract

This study deals with synthesizing ternary metal carbides of the Zr_xAlC_x−1 and their biomedical applications. The synthesis was carried out through the Sol-gel synthesis with variable ratios such as Zr₂AlC(x = 2), Zr₃AlC₂(x = 3), and Zr₄AlC₃(x = 4). The successful formation was achieved through mixing of zirconium-aluminum-carbon gel precursor, followed by controlled drying and heat treatment. Various analyses were performed to confirm the ternary compounds including the XRD method for the compound’s crystal structure, SEM, and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to confirm the development of laminated polycrystalline structure and chemical composition of MAX phases, respectively. The Raman analysis investigated vibrational modes present in the prepared materials elemental composition and surface chemistry were investigated in prepared samples by the XPS. FTIR spectroscopy was employed to analyze the functional groups. The biomedical applications of MAX phases, including their antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties, were investigated using various pathogens and cell lines. Specifically, Zr_xAlC_x−1 was tested against E. coli and S. aureus for antibacterial efficacy, Candida albicans for antifungal activity, and the HepG2 cell line for anticancer potential. The results indicated that Zr_xAlC_x−1 exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal effects and demonstrated good viability when tested against the HepG2 liver cancer cell line, suggesting its promising potential in these biomedical applications.