Abstract
In response to the wide spread of microbial contamination induced by bacterial pathogens, the development of novel materials with excellent antibacterial activity is of great interest. In this study, novel antibacterial chitosan (CS) and polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGC) dual-polymer-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) (GO-CS-PHGC) composites were designed and easily fabricated. The as-prepared materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy. Their antibacterial capability towards bacterial strains was also studied by incubating both Gram-negative bacteria and Gram-positive bacteria in their presence. More significantly, the synergistic antibacterial action of the three components was assayed, and the findings implied that the as-prepared GO-CS-PHGC shows enhanced antibacterial activity when compared to its single components (GO, CS, PHGC or CS-PHGC) and the mixture of individual components. Not only Gram-negative bacteria but also Gram-positive bacteria are greatly inhibited by GO-CS-PHGC composites. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of GO-CS-PHGC against E. coli was 32 μg/mL. With the powerful antibacterial activity as well as its low cost and facile preparation, GO-CS-PHGC has potential applications as a novel antibacterial agent in a wide range of biomedical uses.
Highlights
The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a severe threat to public health worldwide [1]
We report a new approach to potentiate the antibacterial activity of Graphene oxide (GO)
CS-polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGC) composites were bonded to the surface of GO sheets for the preparation of dual-polymer-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-CS-PHGC)
Summary
The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a severe threat to public health worldwide [1]. There is great demand for a new generation of powerful antibacterial agents that can effectively kill pathogenic bacteria [2]. Nanomaterials, such as silver nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene-family nanomaterials and their composites, enable antibiotic-free disinfection of a broad spectrum of bacterial pathogens [3]. Graphene oxide (GO) obtained by chemical exfoliation of graphite, is decorated with a large number of oxygen moieties such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, and epoxy groups. These abundant oxygen functional groups of GO can provide reactive sites for chemical functionalization [11,12]. GO has a 2D planar structure with a high specific area which can introduce interactions with the polymer matrix
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