Microstructure and antibacterial efficacy of graphene oxide nanocomposite fibres

Rupy Kaur Matharu; Tanveer A Tabish; Thithawat Trakoolwilaiwan; Jessica Mansfield; Julian Moger; Tongfei Wu; Cláudio Lourenço; Biqiong Chen; Lena Ciric; Ivan P Parkin; Mohan Edirisinghe

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.037

Microstructure and antibacterial efficacy of graphene oxide nanocomposite fibres

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2020 Jul 1:571:239-252. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.037. Epub 2020 Mar 10.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK; Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
² School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, North Park Road, Exeter EX4 4QL, UK.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
⁴ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Sheffield, Mappin Street, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK.
⁵ Department of Chemistry, University College London, Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AJ, UK.
⁶ School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AH, UK.
⁷ Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
⁸ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK. Electronic address: m.edirisinghe@ucl.ac.uk.

PMID: 32200168
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.03.037

Abstract

Antibacterial polymer nanocomposite fibre meshes containing graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were successfully prepared by pressurised gyration. The morphological and chemical composition of the resulting fibre meshes were determined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, Raman mapping and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). SEM showed the fibres to have an average diameter increasing from ~1-4 µm as the GO loading increased. FT-IR and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the inclusion of GO nanosheets on the fibre surface. The antibacterial potential of GO nanocomposite fibres were investigated using Escherichia coli K12. Average bacterial reduction ranged from 46 to 85 % with results favouring the strongest bioactivities of the nanocomposite containing 8 wt% of GO. Finally, bacterial toxicity of the nanocomposites was evaluated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation. A mechanism for the antibacterial behaviour of the nanocomposite fibres is presented. Stimulated Raman scattering imaging and spectra of the fibres post antibacterial studies showed flakes of GO distributed across the surface of the poly(methyl 2-methylpropenoate) (PMMA) fibres, which contribute to the high killing efficacy of the composites towards E. coli. GO nanosheets embedded in a polymer matrix have demonstrated the ability to retain their antibacterial properties, thus offering themselves as a promising antibacterial agent.

Keywords: Antibacterial; Fibers; Graphene oxide; Nanocomposite; Nanosheets; Raman scattering; Reactive oxygen species.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
Escherichia coli K12 / drug effects*
Escherichia coli K12 / metabolism
Graphite / chemistry
Graphite / pharmacology*
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
Nanocomposites / chemistry*
Particle Size
Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemical synthesis
Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemistry
Polymethyl Methacrylate / pharmacology*
Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Surface Properties

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Reactive Oxygen Species
graphene oxide
Graphite
Polymethyl Methacrylate