Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO) has recently captured tremendous attention, but only few functionalized graphene derivatives were used as fillers, and insightful studies dealing with the thermal, mechanical, and biological effects of graphene surface functionalization are currently missing in the literature. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), phosphorylated graphene oxide (PGO), and trimethylsilylated graphene oxide (SiMe3GO) were prepared by the post-modification of GO. The electrostatic interactions of these fillers with chitosan afforded colloidal solutions that provide, after water evaporation, transparent and flexible chitosan-modified graphene films. All reinforced chitosan–graphene films displayed improved mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial (S. aureus, E. coli) properties compared to native chitosan films. Hemolysis, intracellular catalase activity, and hemoglobin oxidation were also observed for these materials. This study shows that graphene functionalization provides a handle for tuning the properties of graphene-reinforced nanocomposite films and customizing their functionalities.
Highlights
One major line of research in the bio-based polymer industry lies in processing and manufacturing these materials as bioplastics for food preservation and as medical devices, including antimicrobial reagents [1]
Graphene oxide (GO) was subjected to hydrazine treatment to remove the remaining oxygen functional groups [32]
The reduced graphene oxide displays fewer oxygen groups on its surface compared to the starting GO precursor
Summary
One major line of research in the bio-based polymer industry lies in processing and manufacturing these materials as bioplastics for food preservation and as medical devices, including antimicrobial reagents [1]. Used synthetic packaging materials are enriched with persistent, slowly. Materials 2020, 13, 998 degradable petroleum-based polymers that generate a considerable amount of waste [2]. Bio-based polysaccharide composites could be excellent alternatives to traditional packaging [3]. The presence of amino groups in the chitosan backbone imparts it with catalytic activity [5], metal chelating ability [6], and biological efficiency [4]. Fully degradable, water soluble, and can be used as a colloidal solution, triggered as a pH-responsive hydrogel, casted as films, and shaped as self-standing microspheres [7]
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