EAGER: MXene Sorbents for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major public health crisis affecting millions of individuals, many of whom present with a constellation of symptoms and multiple organ system involvement. Early evidence has suggested that COVID-19 causes direct kidney injury, which is present in approximately 30 to 40% of hospitalized patients. COVID-19 also disproportionately afflicts people with underlying kidney disease. When kidney injury is severe, dialysis treatments are required to remove toxins that build up in the bloodstream. Unfortunately, typical dialysis treatments are resource-intensive and require several hundreds of liters of specialized fluid (dialysate) per treatment. At the height of the pandemic in New York City, reports revealed that supplies of dialysate were dangerously depleted, leading to rationing of dialysis care for hospitalized patients. To address the limitations of the current state-of-the-art dialysis treatment methods, this project will investigate and design novel toxin-removing (sorbent) materials as a potential alternative dialysis technology. The goal is to reduce the amount of fluid necessary for dialysis and advance progress toward in-home or wearable dialysis therapies. The outcome of the research will directly benefit the health and well-being of individuals requiring dialysis as a result of COVID-19-related illness or otherwise. Postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students will participate in conducting the research, gaining technical experience as well as developing professional skills.

With support from both the Interfacial Engineering program of the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems in the Engineering Directorate and the Ceramics program of the Division of Materials Research in the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Directorate, the investigators will examine whether MXenes, 2D materials with unique adsorption properties, can regenerate dialysate by removing toxins that accumulate during kidney failure. The investigators will first test the adsorption properties of biocompatible, titanium-based MXenes and, subsequently, determine the adsorption mechanism and amounts of ions and biomolecules that can be removed from aqueous solutions as a function of uremic toxin concentration. For the most promising MXene, the volume and weight of MXenes required to clear uremic toxins and ions at a specified flow weight will be determined. Finally, the investigators will examine the effect of an applied electric potential on MXene adsorption/desorption of uremic toxins. The goal of the latter objective is to increase adsorption characteristics and regenerate the MXene for re-use, making it an ideal material to address critical dialysate shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.