Issue 4, 2018

Antimicrobial graphene materials: the interplay of complex materials characteristics and competing mechanisms

Abstract

Graphene materials (GMs) exhibit attractive antimicrobial activities promising for biomedical and environmental applications. However, we still lack full control over their behaviour and performance mainly due to the complications arising from the coexistence and interplay of multiple factors. Therefore, in this minireview, we attempt to illustrate the structure–property–activity relationships of GMs’ antimicrobial activity. We first examine the chemical/physical complexity of GMs focusing on five aspects of their materials characteristics: (i) chemical composition, (ii) impurities and imperfections, (iii) lateral dimension, (iv) self-association (e.g., restacking), and (v) composite/hybrid formation. Next, we briefly summarise the current understanding of their antimicrobial mechanisms. Then, we assign the outlined materials characteristics of GMs to the proposed antimicrobial mechanisms. Lastly, we share our vision regarding the future of research and development in this fast-emerging field.

Graphical abstract: Antimicrobial graphene materials: the interplay of complex materials characteristics and competing mechanisms

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
30 out 2017
Accepted
15 jan 2018
First published
16 jan 2018

Biomater. Sci., 2018,6, 766-773

Antimicrobial graphene materials: the interplay of complex materials characteristics and competing mechanisms

H. E. Karahan, Y. Wang, W. Li, F. Liu, L. Wang, X. Sui, M. A. Riaz and Y. Chen, Biomater. Sci., 2018, 6, 766 DOI: 10.1039/C7BM00987A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements