Facile green synthesis of graphene oxide/copper oxide nanocomposites using ginger essential oil and its enhanced antibacterial properties

Abstract

Due to the pathogen infections and diseases, there is a high demand for antimicrobial agents and coatings. This work was presented the green synthesis of graphene oxide (GO)/copper (II) oxide (CuO) nanocomposite using ginger plant essential oil (GEO) for antibacterial agent application. To confirm the synthesis of products, the preparation materials were characterized by Fourier transform spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirm that layered structure of GO-CuO-GEO nanocomposite was formed. The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposites against S. aureus and E. coli bacteria were investigated using disc diffusion method, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and minimum bacterial killing concentration (MBC) analysis. The results showed that the GO-CuO-GEO nanocomposite exhibit noticeable antibacterial activities against S.aureus (19.4 ± 0.6 mm) and E. coli (15.5 ± 1.3 mm). The results indicated that the GO-CuO-GEO nanocomposite was an effective antibacterial agent, significantly inhibiting the growth of both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The enhanced antibacterial properties of the synthesized nanocomposites make them a promising candidate for various biomedical applications.