Applications Of Graphene-based Nanomaterials Research Articles

Graphene in Medicine: Revolutionizing Healthcare through Advanced Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials, particularly carbon-based structures like graphene nanostructures, have revolutionized science and technology, offering groundbreaking advancements in bioengineering and medicine. These developments have enhanced our ability to detect, diagnose, and treat diseases, leading to significant innovations in therapy methods. The evolving field of graphene synthesis, with its less complex and more effective strategies, has captured the scientific community's interest. This review seeks to delve into the latest progress in the creation and application of graphene-based nanomaterials, especially their role in biomedical applications, with a primary focus on drug delivery systems. Graphene has emerged as a versatile material in the medical field. Its application as a sensor in monitoring vital parameters such as blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as nitric oxide levels in oxygen, has been noteworthy. In dentistry, graphene, combined with specific peptides, can identify individual bacterial strains, aiding in accurate disease diagnosis. Its role as an immunosensor is also significant, enabling the detection of trace amounts of substances like growth hormones. In the battle against cancer, graphene has shown promising results. It is actively being researched for broader medical applications including cancer therapy, diagnostic tools for diseases, tissue engineering, implants, DNA sequencing, biomarker identification, genetic material transfer, and in the combined fields of biomedical imaging and neuroscience. This review underscores the potential of graphene in medical science. As research continues, it is anticipated that graphene-based technologies will significantly contribute to personalized therapies, enhancing healthcare quality. The conclusion of this review emphasizes the need for ongoing research to explore and refine graphene-derived smart therapeutics. Such advancements will not only improve patient care but also drive us towards the zenith of human welfare, showcasing the transformative impact of nanotechnology in healthcare.Keywords: Graphene, Biomedical Applications, Drug Delivery Systems, Diagnostic Innovations and Personalized Therapeutics

Effects of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials on Microorganisms and Soil Microbial Communities.

The past decades have witnessed intensive research on the biological effects of graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) and the application of GBNs in different fields. The published literature shows that GBNs exhibit inhibitory effects on almost all microorganisms under pure culture conditions, and that this inhibitory effect is influenced by the microbial species, the GBN's physicochemical properties, the GBN's concentration, treatment time, and experimental surroundings. In addition, microorganisms exist in the soil in the form of microbial communities. Considering the complex interactions between different soil components, different microbial communities, and GBNs in the soil environment, the effects of GBNs on soil microbial communities are undoubtedly intertwined. Since bacteria and fungi are major players in terrestrial biogeochemistry, this review focuses on the antibacterial and antifungal performance of GBNs, their antimicrobial mechanisms and influencing factors, as well as the impact of this effect on soil microbial communities. This review will provide a better understanding of the effects of GBNs on microorganisms at both the individual and population scales, thus providing an ecologically safe reference for the release of GBNs to different soil environments.

Graphene’s Role in the Clean-Up Act: Progress in Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Water scarcity and environmental pollution are the two pressing global challenges that demand innovative solutions. In recent years, graphene-based nanomaterials have emerged as promising candidates for revolutionizing the field of water purification, particularly in the treatment of industrial wastewater. This review article, the first part of a two-part series, comprehensively explores the applications, synthesis methods and mechanisms of graphene-based nanomaterials for industrial wastewater treatment. Industrial activities generate vast quantities of wastewater contaminated with a myriad of organic and inorganic pollutants, heavy metals and dyes. Traditional water treatment methods often fall short in efficiently removing these contaminants, leading to significant environmental repercussions. In contrast, graphene-based nanomaterials exhibit exceptional properties, including a high specific surface area, excellent electrical conductivity and superior mechanical strength, making them highly attractive for wastewater treatment applications. This article begins by providing an overview of the properties of graphene and its derivatives, such as graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), which form the foundation of graphene-based nanomaterials. Our discussion focuses on the many approaches to the synthesis of these nanomaterials, with particular attention paid to their scalability, cost-effectiveness, and influence on the environment. This review focuses on the various applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in the in the removal of organic pollutants and dyes through adsorption, coagulation and photocatalysis. The unique structural and chemical properties of graphene-based nanomaterials enable them to selectively adsorb pollutants, even in the presence of competing ions, making them highly efficient in complex wastewater matrices. Furthermore, we explore the mechanistic aspects of pollutant removal by graphene-based nanomaterials, elucidating the role of surface functionalization, intermolecular interactions and photocatalytic processes. In addition to their pollutant removal capabilities, graphene-based nanomaterials also exhibit remarkable regeneration potential, making them economically sustainable for long-term industrial wastewater treatment applications. The challenges associated with large-scale implementation, including cost considerations, environmental impact assessments and regulatory compliance are also discussed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state of research in graphene-based nanomaterials for industrial wastewater treatment. By critically evaluating the existing iterature, this review serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to advance sustainable and effective strategies for the industrial wastewater treatment through the integration of graphene-based nanomaterials.

Graphene-Based Nanomaterials and Their Interactions with Lipid Membranes.

Graphene-based nanomaterials (GNMs) have captured increasing attention in the recent advancement of materials science and nanotechnology owing to their excellent physicochemical properties. Despite having unquestionable advances, the application of GNMs in biological and medical sciences is still limited due to the lack of knowledge and precise control over their interaction with the biological milieu. The cellular membrane is the first barrier with which GNMs interact before entering a cell. Therefore, understanding how they interact with cell membranes is important from the perspective of safe use in biological and biomedical fields. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent efforts in predicting the interactions between GNMs and model cellular membranes. This review provides insights into how GNMs interact with lipid membranes and self-assemble in and around them. Both the computational simulations and experimental observations are summarized. The interactions are classified depending on the physicochemical properties (structure, chemistry, and orientation) of GNMs and various model membranes. The thermodynamic parameters, structural details, and supramolecular forces are listed to understand the interactions which would help circumvent potential risks and provide guidance for safe use in the future. At the end of this review, future prospective and emerging challenges in this research field are discussed.

Applications of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials as Contrast Agents in Biomedical Imaging Technologies: A Review

Applications of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials as Contrast Agents in Biomedical Imaging Technologies: A Review

Applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in drug design: The good, the bad and the ugly

ABSTRACT Introduction Graphene-based materials (GBMs) have unique physicochemical properties that make them extremely attractive as platforms for the design of new drugs. Indeed, their bidimensional (2D) morphology, high surface area, mechanical and optical properties, associated to different possibilities for functionalization of their surface, provides opportunities for their use as nanomedicines for drug delivery and/or phototherapies. Areas covered This opinion paper provides an overview of the current status of GBMs in drug design, with a focus on their therapeutic applications, potential environmental and health risks, and some controversial results. The authors discuss the chemical modifications of GBMs for the treatment of various diseases. The potential toxicity associated with some GBMs is also presented, along with a safe-by-design approach to minimize the risks. Finally, the authors address some issues associated to the use of GBMs in the biomedical field, such as contradictory antibacterial effects, fluorescence quenching and imprecise chemical functionalization. Expert opinion GBMs are a promising and exciting area of research in drug delivery. It is however important that responsible and safe use of these materials is ensured to fully exploit their advantages and overcome their drawbacks.

Graphene-Based Nanomaterials as Lubricant Additives: A Review

Reducing friction and wear by improving the tribological properties of liquid lubricants with additives is one of the most important research goals in tribology. Graphene is a typical two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterial, which has outstanding tribological performance when used as an additive in lubricants. In the past decade, various graphene-based nanomaterials have been fabricated by different methods and investigated as lubricant additives. This review aims at comprehensively overviewing the state-of-the-art graphene-based nanomaterials used as lubricant additives. Firstly, the synthesis methods and material structure are reviewed. Subsequently, the possible mechanism of graphene-based nanomaterials on friction-reduction and anti-wear was briefly discussed. Secondly, tribological properties of various graphene-based nanomaterials as lubricant additives were reviewed and discussed. Additionally, the applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in different lubricating scenarios are also discussed. Finally, challenges and future prospects of graphene-based lubricant additives are proposed.

Application of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials as a Reinforcement to Concrete Pavements

Nanomaterials are considered to be one of the game-changing features in the modern world and nanotechnology is mostly reputed as the next-generation industrial revolution due to the extraordinary characteristics possessed by them at their very small scale. Graphene and graphene oxide are two main nanoscale materials that have seen a drastic increase in their use in cement-based composites due to exemptional enhancements in terms of strength and durability that can be imparted to compromise the inherent flaws of concrete and other cementitious composites. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of graphene and graphene oxide on improving the performance of cement-based composites and, particularly, of continuously reinforced concrete pavements (CRCP), which is one of the emerging trends in the transport sector due to various advantages they bring in over conventional flexible pavements and unreinforced concrete pavements. Fresh, hardened and durability properties of concrete with graphene-based nanomaterials were studied and the past experimental data were used to predict statistical interferences between different parameters attributed to concrete. According to the review, graphene-based nanomaterials seem to be promising to overcome the various CRCP distresses. Simultaneously, the possibilities and hinderances of using graphene and graphene oxide in cement-based composites as a reinforcement are discussed. Finally, the potential of using graphene in continuously reinforced concrete pavements is explored.

Identifying the Phytotoxicity and Defense Mechanisms Associated with Graphene-Based Nanomaterials by Integrating Multiomics and Regular Analysis.

The application of graphene-based nanomaterials (GBNs) has attracted global attention in various fields, and understanding defense mechanisms against the phytotoxicity of GBNs is crucial for assessing their environmental risks and safe-by-design. However, the related information is lacking, especially for edible vegetable crops. In the present study, GBNs (0.25, 2.5, and 25 mg/kg plant fresh weight) were injected into the stems of pepper plants. The results showed that the plant defense was regulated by reducing the calcium content by 21.7-48.3%, intercellular CO2 concentration by 12.0-35.2%, transpiration rate by 8.7-40.2%, and stomatal conductance by 16.9-50.5%. The defense pathways of plants in response to stress were further verified by the downregulation of endocytosis and transmembrane transport proteins, leading to a decrease in the nanomaterial uptake. The phytohormone gibberellin and abscisic acid receptor PYL8 were upregulated, indicating the activation of defense systems. However, reduced graphene oxide and graphene oxide quantum dots trigger stronger oxidative stress (e.g., H2O2 and malondialdehyde) than graphene oxide in fruits due to the breakdown of antioxidant defense systems (e.g., cytochrome P450 86A22 and P450 77A1). Both nontargeted proteomics and metabolomics consistently demonstrated that the downregulation of carbohydrate and upregulation of amino acid metabolism were the main mechanisms underlying the phytotoxicity and defense mechanisms, respectively.

Application of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials Combined with Early Exercise Rehabilitation Training in the Treatment of Patients with Infectious Bone Defects

Methods of treating bone defects include autogenous bone and allogeneic bone transplantation, tissue engineering technology, gene therapy, growth factor and adjuvant therapy of physical therapy, etc. However, most treatment schemes have obvious disadvantages. The purpose of this paper is to study the application of graphene-based nanomaterials combined with early exercise rehabilitation training in the treatment of patients with infectious bone defects. The biomedical properties and biomedical applications of graphene are briefly introduced through literature research and investigation, and bone defect diseases and commonly used treatment methods are analyzed. Graphene is used in many biomedical fields, such as disease diagnosis, biosensing, antibacterial and antiviral materials, cancer targeting, photothermal therapy, drug delivery, cell electrical stimulation, tissue engineering, stem cell technology, DNA sequencing and fluorescent (FL) tracking molecular probes. The effects of graphene-based nanomaterials and rehabilitation exercise on the treatment of infectious bone defects were compared through controlled experiments. The results show that although the repair effect of graphene-based nano-materials is not as good as that of autogenous bone, the difference is not significant, and it is better than calcium phosphate cement. After rehabilitation exercise, the curative effect of graphene experimental group was improved. In the 12th week, the tensile strength reached 5.78 N, and the torsional strength reached 0.93 N m, which exceeded the group of autogenous bone without rehabilitation exercise. This paper discusses the strength-related repair effect, but the in vivo toxicity of graphene needs further study.

Applications of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials in Environmental Analysis

Sample preparation is an essential and preliminary procedure of most chemical analyses. Due to the sample diversity, the selection of appropriate adsorbents for the effective preparation and separation of different samples turned out to be important for the methods. By exploiting the rapid development of material science, some novel adsorption materials, especially graphene-based nanomaterials, have shown supremacy in sample pretreatment. In this review, a discussion between these nanomaterials will be made, as well as some basic information about their synthesis. The focus will be on the different environmental applications that use these materials.

Recent advances in graphene-based nanomaterials: properties, toxicity and applications in chemistry, biology and medicine.

This review (with 239 refs.) summarizes the progress that has been made in applications of graphene-based nanomaterials (such as plaingraphene, graphene oxides, doped graphene oxides, graphene quantums dots) in biosensing, imaging, drug delivery and diagnosis. Following an introduction into the field, a first large section covers the toxicity of graphene and its derivatives (with subsections on bacterial toxicity and tissue toxicity). The use of graphene-based nanomaterials in sensors is reviewed next, with subsections on electrochemical, FET-based, fluorescent, chemiluminescent and colorimetric sensors and probes. The large field of imaging is treated next, with subchapters on optical, PET-based, and magnetic resonance based methods. A concluding section summarizes the current status, addresses current challenges, and gives an outlook on potential future trends. Graphical Abstract Schematic presentation of the potential applications of graphene-based materials in life science and biomedicine, emphatically reflected in some vital areas such as DNA analysis, biological monitoring, drug delivery, in vitro labelling, in vivo imaging, tumor target, etc.

Effects of the size and oxidation of graphene oxide on crop quality and specific molecular pathways

Applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in agriculture have attracted much attention, but their potential risks to crop quality and food safety are largely unknown. The present study found that graphene oxide (GO), GO quantum dots (GOQDs) and reduced GO (rGO) translocated from wheat stems to grains and formed large nanomaterial aggregates. The nanomaterials also reduced the globulin, prolamin, amylose and amylopectin contents by 8–28%, 11–25%, 5–34%, and 23–37%, respectively, decreased the levels of mineral elements and upregulated the soluble sugar content by 19–36% in wheat grains, while rGO downregulated the levels of proteins with nutrient reservoir activity to a greater extent than GO. The downregulation of alpha-amylase inhibitor was responsible for the observed decrease in starch content in grains. The decrease in the mineral element contents obtained with rGO and GOQD was greater than that observed with GO, and this effect was linked to the upregulation of calmodulin mediated by ABC transporters. GOQD and rGO changed the proteomic and metabolomic profiles more strongly than GO, suggesting that graphene materials with a small size and a low oxidation content are clearly more detrimental to grain quality. The above results provide an important basis for further nanomaterial design and agricultural applications.

Graphene-Based Nanomaterials for Theranostic Applications

Graphene and graphene-based nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have gained a lot of attention from diverse scientific fields for applications in sensing, catalysis, nanoelectronics, material engineering, energy storage and biomedicine due to its unique structural, optical, electrical and mechanical properties. Graphene-based nanomaterials emerge as a novel class of nanomedicine for cancer therapy for several reasons. Firstly, its structural properties like high surface area and aromaticity enables easy loading of hydrophobic drugs. Secondly, presence of oxygen containing functional groups improve its physiological stability and also act as site for biofunctionalization. Thirdly, its optical absorption in the NIR region enable them to act as photoagents for photothermal and photodynamic therapies of cancer, both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, its intrinsic fluorescence property helps in bioimaging of cancer cells. Overall, graphene-based nanomaterials can act as agents for developing multifunctional theranostic platforms for carrying out more efficient detection and treatment of cancers. This review provides a detailed summary of the different applications of graphene-based nanomaterials in drug delivery, nucleic acid delivery, phototherapy, bioimaging and theranostics.

Application of graphene-based nanomaterials as novel cathode catalysts for improving power generation in single chamber microbial fuel cells

Abstract The low catalytic activity, limited resources, complexity and costs, and non-environmentally friendly nature are key factors limiting the application of non-precious metals and their composites at the cathode in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). This study evaluated the feasibility of graphene-based nanomaterials (RGO HI-AcOH vs. RGO/Ni nanoparticle composite) as novel cathode catalysts in single chamber air-cathode MFCs. A series of MFCs with different catalyst loadings were produced. The electrochemical behavior of the MFCs were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance spectroscopy (EIS). As a result, the MFCs with the RGO HI-AcOH cathodes showed greater maximum power densities (>37%) than those with the RGO/Ni nanoparticle cathodes. In the MFCs, the highest maximum power density of 1683 ± 23 mW/m 2 (CE = 72 ± 3%), which covers 77% of that estimated for Pt/C (2201 ± 45 mW/m 2 , CE = 81 ± 4%), was obtained from the double loading RGO HI-AcOH cathodes. Among the MFCs with the RGO/Ni nanoparticle composite cathodes, those loaded with a double catalyst (1015 ± 28 mW/m 2 , CE = 70 ± 2%) showed better power performance than the others. Both CV and EIS showed good agreement with the MFC results. This study suggests that the RGO HI-AcOH cathode, particularly with a double catalyst loading, is promising for sustainable low-cost green materials, stable power generation and the long-term operation of MFCs.

Selective Accelerated Proliferation of Malignant Breast Cancer Cells on Planar Graphene Oxide Films.

Graphene nanomaterials have been actively investigated for biomedical and biological applications, including that of cancer. Despite progress made, most of such studies are conducted on dispersed graphene nanosheets in solution. Consequently, the use of planar graphene films, especially in cancer research, has not been fully explored. Here, we investigate the cellular interactions between the graphene material films and breast cancer cell lines, specifically the effects these films have on cellular proliferation, spreading area, and cytotoxicity. We demonstrate that the graphene oxide (GO) film selectively accelerates the proliferation of both metastatic (MDA-MB-231) and nonmetastatic (MCF-7) breast cancer cells, but not that of noncancer breast epithelial cells (MCF-10A). Contrastingly, this accelerated proliferation is not observed with the use of graphene (G) film. Moreover, GO induces negligible cytotoxicity on these cells. We suggest that the observed phenomena originate from the synergistic effect resulted from the high loading capacity and conformational change of cellular attachment proteins on the GO film, and the high amount of oxygenated groups present in the material. We anticipate that our findings can further shed light on the graphene-cancer cellular interactions and provide better understanding for the future design and application of graphene-based nanomaterials in cancer research.

Fabrication of Various Conducting Polymers Using Graphene Oxide as a Chemical Oxidant

Recently, using graphene oxide (GO) for “carbocatalysis” has been very attractive as a novel application of graphene-based nanomaterials and is expected to open a host of possibilities for chemical synthesis because of the abundance of natural carbon sources, as well as the low density, extensive chemical functionalization, hydrophilicity, low cost, and ease of preparation. Here, we demonstrate that the GO can play a role as a chemical oxidant for various CPs (polythiophene, polyaniline, and polypyrrole), and diverse graphene–CP composites (graphene–polythiophene, graphene–polyaniline, and graphene–polypyrrole) can simply and rapidly be synthesized by using the GO as both graphene precursor and chemical oxidant. The UV–vis analysis confirms that the GO has successfully polymerized the CPs and been transformed to reduced graphene oxide (RGO). The SEM and TEM analyses show that the CPs have successfully been coated on the few-layered graphene sheets. Raman analysis and series of FT-IR analyses have been con...

Chemical Approaches toward Graphene‐Based Nanomaterials and their Applications in Energy‐Related Areas

A 'gold rush' has been triggered all over the world for exploiting the possible applications of graphene-based nanomaterials. For this purpose, two important problems have to be solved; one is the preparation of graphene-based nanomaterials with well-defined structures, and the other is the controllable fabrication of these materials into functional devices. This review gives a brief overview of the recent research concerning chemical and thermal approaches toward the production of well-defined graphene-based nanomaterials and their applications in energy-related areas, including solar cells, lithium ion secondary batteries, supercapacitors, and catalysis.