Abstract
The development of novel approaches to prevent bacterial infection is essential for enhancing everyday life. Carbon nanomaterials display exceptional optical, thermal, and mechanical properties combined with antibacterial ones, which make them suitable for diverse fields, including biomedical and food applications. Nonetheless, their practical applications as antimicrobial agents have not been fully explored yet, owing to their relatively poor dispersibility, expensiveness, and scalability changes. To solve these issues, they can be integrated within polymeric matrices, which also exhibit antimicrobial activity in some cases. This review describes the state of the art in the antibacterial applications of polymeric nanocomposites reinforced with 0D fullerenes, 1D carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and 2D graphene (G) and its derivatives such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Given that a large number of such nanocomposites are available, only the most illustrative examples are described, and their mechanisms of antimicrobial activity are discussed. Finally, some applications of these antimicrobial polymeric nanocomposites are reviewed.
Highlights
Superior performance was found for a PHBV/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC)/graphene oxide (GO) (98:1:1 wt%) nanocomposite that completely eradicated the growth of both bacteria, ascribed to cell membrane damage by oxidative stress or free radicals and the synergy of CNC covalently linked to GO by physical mixing
RGO, show outstanding antibacterial activity, and they are suitable for manufacturing innovative nanocomposites for a wide range of applications from medicine to the food industry
Their practical applications as antimicrobial agents have not been completely explored yet, owing to their relatively poor dispersibility, expensiveness, and scalability challenges. They can be incorporated within polymeric matrices, which display antimicrobial activity in some cases
Summary
Human beings are frequently infected by numerous microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, algae, protozoa, and amoebas. One key mechanism for bacteria developing resistance is regular exposure to antibiotics. In this regard, nanomaterials with a size range of ≤100 nm in at least one dimension can encapsulate antibiotics. Some polymers have the capability to prevent the spread of microbes, which are named antimicrobial agents They hinder cell development and induce cell apoptosis, and they can be classified into two groups according to their means of action [8]: (1) contact-active polymers, which use hydrophobic interactions, electrostatic forces, and the chelate effect; and (2) non-contact-active polymers, which release antibacterial agents, inducing cell death via linking or entering the cell wall. Scheme and itsits derivative graphene oxide (GO), 0D fullerenes, Scheme 1
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