Abstract
In this study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were decorated with different types of nanoparticles (NPs) in order to obtain hybrid materials with improved antimicrobial activity. Structural and morphological analysis, such as Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller technique were used in order to investigate the decoration of the nanotubes with NPs. Analysis of the decorated nanotubes showed a narrow size distribution of NPs, 7–13 nm for the nanotubes decorated with zinc oxide (ZnO) NPs, 15–33 nm for the nanotubes decorated with silver (Ag) NPs and 20–35 nm for the nanotubes decorated with hydroxyapatite (HAp) NPs, respectively. The dispersion in water of the obtained nanomaterials was improved for all the decorated MWCNTs, as revealed by the relative absorbance variation in time of the water-dispersed nanomaterials. The obtained nanomaterials showed a good antimicrobial activity; however, the presence of the NPs on the surface of MWCNTs improved the nanocomposites’ activity. The presence of ZnO and Ag nanoparticles enhanced the antimicrobial properties of the material, in clinically relevant microbial strains. Our data proves that such composite nanomaterials are efficient antimicrobial agents, suitable for the therapy of severe infection and biofilms.
Highlights
These results suggest that the bacterial growth inhibition of the composite sample was a synergetic effect resulting from both the nanoparticles and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)
The peaks from 1230 cm−1 (C–O bonds) and 3500 cm−1 (–OH groups) appear due to possible leads of water and acids used during the purification process, identified from the base sample (MWCNTs) and reported in our previous study [18]
The peaks at 664 and 924 cm−1 are related to the characteristic stretching mode of Zn–O and Zn–C bonds from the MWCNTs_ZnO nanocomposite [29]
Summary
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) received increasing attention due to their unique characteristics (chemical, physical and mechanical properties), which make them suitable to be used in different areas, including industry, medicine, energy storage and environmental protection [1,2,3]. CNTs are allotropes of carbon consisting of a hexagonal arrangement of hybridized carbon atoms. They are assembled in cylindrical tubes and can be formed by a single sheet of graphene (single-walled carbon nanotubes, SWCNTs) or by multiple sheets of graphene linked through van der Waals non-covalent forces (multi-walled carbon nanotubes, MWCNTs) [4,5,6]. CNTs can be synthetized by several methods, such as arc-discharge, chemical
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