Graphene Oxide-Based Nanocomposites Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles as an Antibacterial Agent

• Main Authors: Sławomir Jaworski, Mateusz Wierzbicki, Ewa Sawosz, Anna Jung, Grzegorz Gielerak, Joanna Biernat, Henryk Jaremek, Witold Łojkowski, Bartosz Woźniak, Jacek Wojnarowicz, Leszek Stobiński, Artur Małolepszy, Marta Mazurkiewicz-Pawlicka, Maciej Łojkowski, Natalia Kurantowicz, André Chwalibog
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2018-04-01
• Series: Nanoscale Research Letters
• Subjects: Graphene oxide; Silver nanoparticles; Antimicrobial properties
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s11671-018-2533-2
• ISSN: 1931-7573; 1556-276X

Abstract One of the most promising methods against drug-resistant bacteria can be surface-modified materials with biocidal nanoparticles and nanocomposites. Herein, we present a nanocomposite with silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) on the surface of graphene oxide (GO) as a novel multifunctional antibacterial and antifungal material. Ultrasonic technologies have been used as an effective method of coating polyurethane foils. Toxicity on gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli), gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis), and pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans) was evaluated by analysis of cell morphology, assessment of cell viability using the PrestoBlue assay, analysis of cell membrane integrity using the lactate dehydrogenase assay, and reactive oxygen species production. Compared to Ag-NPs and GO, which have been widely used as antibacterial agents, our nanocomposite shows much higher antimicrobial efficiency toward bacteria and yeast cells.