One-Step Eco-Friendly Synthesis of Ag-Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites for Antibiofilm Application

This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of Ag nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanocomposites (Ag-RGO), which were obtained via a facile, green and efficient one-pot hydrothermal method. TEM results showed that the silver nanoparticles (20-50 nm) were uniformly attached onto RGO sheets with C/O ratio of 6.4 and 80% of sp 2 carbon, obtained from XPS analysis. Compared with GO and RGO, the prepared Ag-RGO composites possessed significant antibacterial property; the minimum inhibitory concentration of Ag-RGO was just 31.25 μg/mL against Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and Gram-negative bacteria E. coli . Particularly, the Ag-RGO nanocomposites released more Ag + in acidic condition, promoting the produce of reactive oxygen species, which are acknowledged as disruption to the membrane integrity of the bacteria. Moreover, the Ag-RGO nanocomposites effectively dispersed and eliminated the maturely formed biofilm, showing superior advantages in responding to public health threats posed by biofilm-related infections.