Preparation, Characterization and Antimicrobial Properties of Ag۲O Nanoparticles Composited with Reduced Graphene Oxide

Researchers have increasingly investigated hybrid nanocomposites that mix physical and chemical properties of carbonaceous materials and metal/metal oxides. In this work, a nanocomposite composed of reduced graphene oxide and silver (I) oxide, rGO@Ag۲O, was prepared using ascorbic acid as a green reducing agent. The Ag۲O nanoparticles were synthesized by means of a controlled precipitation process in water. The carbonaceous material of rGO was obtained through a modified Hummers' approach. After being combined with a solvent, the Ag۲O and rGO in ethanol were dried with heat. The resultant nanocomposite was structurally and optically examined using different characterization techniques.   The results showed that GO has been successfully reduced, Ag۲O revealed a crystalline structure, and Ag₂O nanostructures were found on the surface of rGO sheets. Disk diffusion assay was adopted in order to evaluate antibacterial activity of nanocomposite against both Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacteria. The Ag₂O nanostructures in the composite form exhibited inhibition zone with higher diameter compared to their uncomposited counterparts. Higher antibacterial activity of rGO@Ag۲O was attributed to the role of negatively charged oxygen-containing groups present on the surface of rGO in slightly improvement in the stability of Ag₂O nanostructures. Our findings show that rGO@Ag₂O could be a useful antimicrobial material for biomedical surfaces, as a coating, and in systems that clean water. It could be a good option for future research in nano-enabled antimicrobial technology because it can destroy bacteria, is made in an environmentally benign way, and could be made on a larger scale.

کلیدواژه ها:

Nanocomposite ، Reduced graphene oxide ، Silver (I) oxide ، Antibacterial activity