Antimicrobial perspectives for graphene-based nanomaterials

Conventional antibiotic therapies are becoming less efficient owing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistance bacterial strains. The development of novel antibacterial material to effectively inhibit or kill bacteria is crucial. During the last decade, inorganic nanoparticles and semiconductors have played an increasingly important role in combating bacterial infections. Graphene, since its discovery in 2004, has drawn tremendous attention from the scientific community as a promising nanomaterial (NM) owing to its multiple properties such as its unique mechanical stiffness, outstanding electronic transport, specific surface areas, thermal stability, conductivity, optical properties, low toxicity, and last but not the least, its excellent antibacterial property. Here, a comprehensive view on the antibacterial properties of graphene-based NMs is summarized. In our group, efforts were made to synthesize a graphene-based photothermal agent and magnetic reduced graphene oxide functionalized with glutaraldehyde for the efficient capture and effective killing of both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli bacteria upon near-infrared laser irradiation. We also prepared a smart magnetic graphene within 1 min by solid-state microwave reaction for drinking water purification. It can effectively kill pathogens such as E. coli, remove heavy metals, and is less toxic to zebrafish. Nevertheless, the development of graphene-based antibacterial materials toward practical applications warrants the understanding of their exact interaction mechanism. Hence, the mechanism of action for graphene-based composites toward bacteria is explored.