Polymerisation used to synthesise 2D material inside living cells
Sheets are larger than those cells can take up and the technique could find uses in imaging
2D materials have been grown inside living cells that would be impossible to get cells to take up any other way. The approach could be useful for bioimaging, diagnostic and therapeutic platforms.
Previous research has shown that 2D materials can be readily ingested by cells, offering promise for biomedical applications. Larger materials are desirable because they can remain in cells for longer to perform their designated role. However, researchers have been restricted because cells can only swallow – via a process called endocytosis – small 2D materials less than 200nm in size and they can be easily expelled.