Abstract
(1) Background: Graphene oxide is a new carbon-based material that contains functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, epoxy) and therefore can be easily functionalized with organic compounds of interest, yielding hybrid materials with important properties and applications. (2) Methods: Graphene oxide has been obtained by a modified Hummers method and activated by thionyl chloride in order to be covalently functionalized with amines. Thus obtained hybrid materials were characterized by infrared and Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy and then tested for their antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activity. (3) Results: Eight amines of interest were used to functionalize grapheme oxide and the materials thus obtained were tested against Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacterial strainsin plankonic and biofilm growth state. Both amines, as well as the functionalized materials, exhibited anti-microbial features. Three to five functionalized graphene oxide materials exhibited improved inhibitory activity against planktonic strains as compared with the respective amines. In exchange, the amines alone proved generally more efficient against biofilm-embedded cells. (4) Conclusions: Such hybrid materials may have a wide range of potential use in biomedical applications.
Highlights
Carbon-based materials are important pillar of development in human history, starting as an energy source and progressing on to high-tech devices
All chemicals and solvents were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich or Chimopar and used as Infrared (IR) spectra were recorded under normal conditions on a Jasco FTIR 4100 apparatus
The classical procedure involves the Results andofDiscussion a strong oxidation mixture that initiates the formation of oxygen-rich functional groups, like carboxylic groups, etc. [22]
Summary
Carbon-based materials are important pillar of development in human history, starting as an energy source and progressing on to high-tech devices. An allotrope of carbon, consisting of a specific three-dimensional (3D) hexagonal arrangement of carbon atoms, can be converted into a 2D material by physical or chemical means. These 2D materials are currently known as graphene, which consist of a layer of carbon atoms arranged in a polycyclic aromatic structure. Graphene oxide is a similar material that contains oxygen atoms as well in the form of organic functional groups (carboxyl, hydroxyl, carbonyl, epoxy). New organic compounds of interest can be Materials 2018, 11, 1704; doi:10.3390/ma11091704 www.mdpi.com/journal/materials
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