Antibacterial properties of reduced graphene oxide fibers fabricated by hydrothermal method

Abstract

The antibacterial activity of reduced graphene oxide fibers (rGOFs) fabricated by a one-step dimensionally confined hydrothermal technique was investigated on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative models of bacteria in this study. The surface morphology, microstructure, and chemical composition of the as-prepared rGOFs were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy. SEM images showed the fiber to have an average diameter of 46.6 ± 0.53 μm, composed of rGO nanosheets with numerous sharp edges. XPS and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the presence of -bonded carbon and structural defects in the samples. Antibacterial properties of rGOFs were tested and analyzed using agar well diffusion, colony counting method, SEM observation, and reactive oxygen species generation. The excellent broad-spectrum antibacterial ability of rGOFs is attributed to the physicochemical properties and unique surface morphological features of the samples, which could facilitate the development of rGOFs-based biomaterial for various biomedical and nano-technological applications such as a promising antibacterial agent or an implant/scaffold for nerve tissue engineering and regeneration.