Graphene oxide nanostructures modified multifunctional cotton fabrics

Comparison of Antimicrobial Properties of Graphene Oxide-Based Materials, Carbon Dots, and Their Combinations Deposited on Cotton Fabrics

The rise in the antibiotic resistance of bacteria has increased scientific interest in the study of materials with unique mechanisms of antimicrobial action. This paper presents the results of studies on the antimicrobial activity of carbon materials and textiles decorated with them. A comparative analysis of the bactericidal and fungicidal activities of graphene oxide, electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene, carbon dots, and their combinations was performed. Microbiological studies on reference strains of E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans showed that graphene oxide inhibited growth with up to 98% efficiency. Electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene was less effective (up to 40%). This study found no significant antimicrobial activity of carbon dots and the combination of carbon dots with graphene oxide significantly weakened their effectiveness. However, the combination of electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene and carbon dots exhibits a synergistic effect (up to 76%). A study on the antimicrobial activity of decorated cotton textiles demonstrated the effectiveness of antimicrobial textiles with graphene oxide, electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene, and a combination of carbon dots with electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene.

2D Nanomaterials and Their Drug Conjugates for Phototherapy and Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy of Cancer and Infections

Photothermal therapy (PTT) and magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) using 2D nanomaterials (2DnMat) have recently emerged as promising alternative treatments for cancer and bacterial infections, both important global health challenges. The present review intends to provide not only a comprehensive overview, but also an integrative approach of the state-of-the-art knowledge on 2DnMat for PTT and MHT of cancer and infections. High surface area, high extinction coefficient in near-infra-red (NIR) region, responsiveness to external stimuli like magnetic fields, and the endless possibilities of surface functionalization, make 2DnMat ideal platforms for PTT and MHT. Most of these materials are biocompatible with mammalian cells, presenting some cytotoxicity against bacteria. However, each material must be comprehensively characterized physiochemically and biologically, since small variations can have significant biological impact. Highly efficient and selective in vitro and in vivo PTTs for the treatment of cancer and infections are reported, using a wide range of 2DnMat concentrations and incubation times. MHT is described to be more effective against bacterial infections than against cancer therapy. Despite the promising results attained, some challenges remain, such as improving 2DnMat conjugation with drugs, understanding their in vivo biodegradation, and refining the evaluation criteria to measure PTT or MHT effects.

Mapping the knowledge domains of medical textiles: A review

As the world's textile industry shifts towards manufacturing high value-added textile structures and products, medical textiles have drawn extensive attention from researchers and the related research field is rapidly developing in recent years. To provide readers a systematic overview of this research field, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of scientific publications related to the field in performed and visually presented using the software CiteSpace and VOSviewer in this paper. Totally 2839 papers have been retrieved and collected from the core database of Web of Science™. First, the papers are divided into several groups and quantitatively analyzed based on the year of publication, the citations in each year, and the disciplines involved in the papers. VOSviewer is adopted to analyze the collaboration among countries, organizations, and authors in the research community as well as their research output and influence in terms of citation. Then the major journals in the field are identified through performing co-citation analysis on source journals of all references cited in the retrieved papers. In addition, the highly cited papers and their references are listed in this paper. They offer researchers a glimpse of the internal relationship of scientific literature and the dynamic structure of scientific evolution. Finally, the co-occurrence analysis of keywords is also performed using VOSviewer and CiteSpace. The connection between various disciplines in the research field is revealed, so that the scientific development history, the research hotspots, and main research directions in the field can be traced.

Waste-Derived Sustainable Fluorescent Nanocarbon-Coated Breathable Functional Fabric for Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Applications

Hospital-acquired (nosocomial) infections account for the majority of adverse health effects during care delivery, placing an immense financial strain on healthcare systems around the world. For the first time, the present article provides evidence of a straightforward pollution-free technique to fabricate a heteroatom-doped carbon dot immobilized fluorescent biopolymer composite for the development of functional textiles with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. A simple, facile, and eco-friendly approach was devised to prepare heteroatom-doped carbon dots from waste green tea and a biopolymer. The carbon dots showed an excitation-dependent emission behavior, and the XPS data unveiled that they are co-doped with nitrogen and sulfur. A facile physical compounding strategy was adopted to fabricate a carbon dot reinforced biopolymeric composite followed by immobilization onto the textile. The composite textiles revealed excellent antioxidant activity, determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (>80%) and 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid assays (>90%). The results of the disc diffusion assay indicated that the composite textiles substantially inhibited the growth of both tested bacteria Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis with increasing coating cycles. The time-dependent antibacterial experiments revealed that the nanocomposite can inhibit significant bacterial growth within a few hours. The present study could open up the possibility for the commercialization of inexpensive smart textile substrates for the prevention of microbial contamination used for the medical and healthcare field.

Design, Structural Characteristic and Antibacterial Performance of Silver-Containing Cotton Fiber Nanocomposite

In the present study, cotton fiber was treated with phosphorus trichloride in the presence of oxygen. As a result of the subsequent hydrolysis of modified cotton fibers, phosphorus-containing fragments with acidic groups and chlorine atoms were introduced onto their surface. Afterward, silver-containing composites based on raw and modified cotton fibers were prepared using the chemical reduction method. The obtained samples were characterized in detail by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, as well as by thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. A comparative bioassay experiment of four samples for gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria, gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria, and the fungus Candida albicans was carried out. These results showed the predominant antibacterial activity of the phosphorylated sample and the composite based on it. Thus, the development of these antibacterial cotton fibers using readily available reagents under relatively mild conditions could be used as potential industrial applications for the production of everyday medical textiles.

Scalable Manufacturing Process and Multifunctional Performance of Cotton Fibre-Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) (PLA) Bio-Composites Coated by Graphene Oxide

Natural fibre biopolymer composites with both fibres and matrix being derived from biomaterials are increasingly used in demanding applications, such as sensing, packaging, building, and transport, and require good electrical, thermal, and flame retardant properties. Herein, an investigation of the effectiveness of functionalising nonwoven cotton/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibre mats with graphene oxide nanosheets has been reported by using a facile dip-coating method followed by thermal reduction for enhancing the electric, thermal, and abrasion-resistance properties. The manufacturing processes for preparing biocomposites and introducing functionality are readily scalable. Experimental results reveal that with the addition of less than 0.5 wt% graphene nanoplatelets, the biocomposites showed significant improvements in abrasion resistance, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and diffusivity. Furthermore, the composite shows excellent piezo-resistivity to act as strain sensors with a gauge factor of 2.59 at strains up to 1%.

Removal of Scale-Forming Ions and Oil Traces from Oil Field Produced Water Using Graphene Oxide/Polyethersulfone and TiO2 Nanoribbons/Polyethersulfone Nanofiltration Membranes

Treatment of produced water in oil fields has become a tough challenge for oil producers. Nanofiltration, a promising method for water treatment, has been proposed as a solution. The phase inversion technique was used for the synthesis of nanofiltration membranes of polyethersulfone embedded with graphene oxide nanoparticles and polyethersulfone embedded with titanium nanoribbons. As a realistic situation, water samples taken from the oil field were filtered using synthetic membranes at an operating pressure of 0.3 MPa. Physiochemical properties such as water flux, membrane morphology, flux recovery ratio, pore size and hydrophilicity were investigated. Additionally, filtration efficiency for removal of constituent ions, oil traces in water removal, and fouling tendency were evaluated. The constituent ions of produced water act as the scaling agent which threatens the blocking of the reservoir bores of the disposal wells. Adding graphene oxide (GO) and titanium nanoribbons (TNR) to polyethersulfone (PES) enhanced filtration efficiency, water flux, and anti-fouling properties while also boosting hydrophilicity and porosity. The PES-0.7GO membrane has the best filtering performance, followed by the PES-0.7TNR and pure-PES membranes, with chloride salt rejection rates of 81%, 78%, and 35%; oil rejection rates of 88%, 85%, and 71%; and water fluxes of 85, 82, and 42.5 kg/m2 h, respectively. Because of its higher hydrophilicity and physicochemical qualities, the PES-0.7GO membrane outperformed the PES-0.7TNR membrane. Nanofiltration membranes embedded with nanomaterial described in this work revealed encouraging long-term performance for oil-in-water trace separation and scaling agent removal.

Recent advances in functionalization of nanotextiles: A strategy to combat harmful microorganisms and emerging pathogens in the 21st century

The textile industry can benefit from nanotechnology as new properties are conferred on functionalized nanotextiles beyond what a fabric can traditionally offer. These properties include extermination of microorganisms by nanotextiles to curtail their growth and dissemination in the environment and in healthcare facilities. The emergence and thriving of multi-drug resistance (MDR) phenomenon among microbes are threats at achieving good health and well-being (goal 3) of sustainable development goals (SDG) of UN. In addition, MDR strains emerge at a higher rate than the frequency of discovery and production of potent antimicrobial drugs. Therefore, there is need for innovative approach to tackle MDR. Among recent innovations is functionalization of textiles with metal nanoparticles to kill microorganisms. This paper explores strategies in nanotextile production to combat emerging diseases in the 21st century. We discussed different nanotextiles with proven antimicrobial activities, and their applications as air filters, sportswear, personal wears, nose masks, health care and medical fabrics. This compendium highlights frontiers of applications of antimicrobial nanotextiles that can extend multidisciplinary research endeavours towards achieving good health and well-being. Until now, there exists no review on exploitation of nanotextiles to combat MDR pathogens as included in this report.

Chemically modified carbon nanostructures and 2D nanomaterials for fabrics performing under operational tension and extreme environmental conditions

The extensive research on carbon nanostructures and 2D nanomaterials will come to fruition once these materials steadily join everyday-life applications. Their chemical functionalization unlocks their potential as carriers of customized properties and counterparts to fabric fibers. The scope of the current review covers the chemical modification of carbon nanostructures and 2D nanomaterials for hybrid fabrics with enhanced qualities against critical operational and weather conditions, such as antibacterial, flame retardant, UV resistant, water repellent and high air and water vapor permeability activities.

Antiviral Filtering Capacity of GO-Coated Textiles

Background. New antiviral textiles for the protection and prevention of life-threatening viral diseases are needed. Graphene oxide derivatives are versatile substances that can be combined with fabrics by different green electrochemistry methods. Methods In this study, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets were combined with textile samples to study GO antiviral potential. GO synthesized in the Chemistry laboratories at the University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy) and characterized with TEM/EDX, XRD, TGA, Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR, was applied at three different concentrations to linen textiles with the hot-dip and dry method to obtain filters. The GO-treated textiles were tested to prevent infection of a human glioblastoma cell line (U373) with human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A). Green electrochemical exfoliation of graphite into the oxidized graphene nanosheets provides a final GO-based product suitable for a virus interaction, mainly depending on the double layer of nanosheets, their corresponding nanometric sizes, and Z-potential value. Results Since GO-treated filters were able to prevent infection of cells in a dose-dependent fashion, our results suggest that GO may exert antiviral properties that can be exploited for medical devices and general use fabrics.

Highly Porous Reduced Graphene Oxide-Coated Carbonized Cotton Fibers as Supercapacitor Electrodes

High-surface-area carbon-based capacitors exhibit significant advantages relative to conventional graphite-based systems, such as high power density, low weight, and mechanical flexibility. In this work, novel porous carbon-based electrodes were obtained from commercial cotton fibers (CFs) impregnated with graphene oxide (GO) at different dipping times. A subsequent thermal treatment under inert atmosphere conditions enables the synthesis of electrodes based on reduced GO (RGO) supported on carbon fibers. Those synthetized with 15 min and 30 min of dipping time displayed high specific capacitance given their optimal micro-/ mesoporosity ratio. Particularly, the RGO/CCF15A supercapacitor reports a remarkable specific capacitance of 74.1 F g-1 at 0.2 A g-1 and a high cycling stability with a 97.7% capacitive retention, making this electrode a promising candidate for supercapacitor design. Finally, we conducted a density functional theory study to obtain deeper information about the driving forces leading to the GO/CF structures.

Comparative Investigation of Activated Carbon Electrode and a Novel Activated Carbon/Graphene Oxide Composite Electrode for an Enhanced Capacitive Deionization

Capacitive deionization is an emerging brackish water desalination technology whose principle lies in the utilization of porous electrodes (activated carbon materials) to temporarily store ions. Improving the properties of carbon material used as electrodes have been the focus of recent research, as this is beneficial for overall efficiency of this technology. Herein, we have synthesized a composite of activated carbon/graphene oxide electrodes by using a simple blending process in order to improve the hydrophilic property of activated carbon. Graphene oxide (GO) of different weight ratios was blended with commercial Activated carbon (AC) and out of all the composites, AC/GO-15 (15 wt.% of GO) exhibited the best electrochemical and salt adsorption performance in all operating conditions. The as prepared AC and AC/GO-x (x = 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt.% of GO) were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and their physical properties were also studied. The salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of AC/GO-15 at an operating window of 1.0 V is 5.70 mg/g with an average salt adsorption rate (ASAR) of 0.34 mg/g/min at a 400 mg/L salt initial concentration and has a capacitance of 75 F/g in comparison to AC with 3.74 mg/g of SAC, ASAR of 0.23 mg/g/min and a capacitance of 56 F/g at the same condition. This approach could pave a new way to produce a highly hydrophilic carbon based electrode material in CDI.

Photocatalytic activity and antibacterial properties of linen fabric using reduced graphene oxide/silver nanocomposite

Silver nanoparticles were in situ prepared on the surface of linen fabric coated by graphene oxide (GO). In the meantime, the reduction of silver nitrate on the GO-coated fabric led to the synthesis of reduced graphene oxide on the fabric. Two kinds of substrate (cotton and linen) were used. Both RGO/Ag and Ag/GO nanocomposites were added on cotton and linen fabrics through a conventional "pad-dry-cure" method. The chemistry and morphology of the coated surfaces were extensively characterized using Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Resistivity measurements were used for assessing the conductivity. The UV protection properties and the photocatalytic activity of the coated fabrics against methylene blue dye were also investigated. The antibacterial activity was studied against Gram-positive S. aureus and B. subtilis and Gram-negative bacterial strains E. coli and P. aeruginosa by determining the zone of inhibition using the agar diffusion method. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been responsible for many serious hospital infections worldwide. The fabrics showed superior antibacterial activity and successfully hindered the growth of pathogenic bacterial strains. This outcome suggested that both the RGO/Ag and Ag/GO nanocomposites-coated fabrics could be potentially applied in biomaterials and biomedical fields.

The Photocatalytical Properties of RGO/TiO2 Coated Fabrics

The aim of this work was to immobilize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) on the surface of selected fibrous structures. Textile fabrics made of cotton (CO) and polyamide (PA) were used as a carrier. The following modification methods were applied: coating for modification of PA and dip-coating for modification of CO. In the dip-coating method, no auxiliaries were used, which is a huge advantage. The RGO/TiO2 coated fabrics were characterized using several techniques: ultraviolet–visible (UV–VIS) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained results showed the immobilization of RGO and TiO2 on the fabrics. Raw fabrics absorb much less radiation than coated ones, which is associated with strong absorption of radiation by applied modifiers (RGO and TiO2). Photocatalytic activity of functionalized textiles was determined using aqueous phenol solutions. Phenol removal efficiency obtained for RGO/TiO2 coated CO and RGO/TiO2 coated PA was 51% and 46%, respectively. The hydroxyl radicals play a major role in the phenol photocatalytic degradation. The phenol removal efficiency in the fifth cycle was higher (about 14% and 8% for RGO/TiO2 coated CO and RGO/TiO2 coated PA, respectively) compared to the first cycle.

Encapsulation of Electrically Conductive Apparel Fabrics: Effects on Performance

Electrically conductive fabrics are achieved by functionalizing with treatments such as graphene; however, these change conventional fabric properties and the treatments are typically not durable. Encapsulation may provide a solution for this, and the present work aims to address these challenges. Next-to-skin wool and cotton knit fabrics functionalized using graphene ink were encapsulated with three poly(dimethylsiloxane)-based products. Properties known to be critical in a next-to-skin application were investigated (fabric structure, moisture transfer, electrical conductivity, exposure to transient ambient conditions, wash, abrasion, and storage). Wool and cotton fabrics performed similarly. Electrical conductivity was conferred with the graphene treatment but decreased with encapsulation. Wetting and high humidity/low temperature resulted in an increase in electrical conductivity, while decreases in electrical conductivity were evident with wash, abrasion, and storage. Each encapsulant mitigated effects of exposures but these effects differed slightly. Moisture transfer changed with graphene and encapsulants. As key performance properties of the wool and cotton fabrics following treatment with graphene and an encapsulant differed from their initial state, use as a patch integrated as part of an upper body apparel item would be acceptable.

Towards Electrochemical Water Desalination Techniques: A Review on Capacitive Deionization, Membrane Capacitive Deionization and Flow Capacitive Deionization

Electrochemical water desalination has been a major research area since the 1960s with the development of capacitive deionization technique. For the latter, its modus operandi lies in temporary salt ion adsorption when a simple potential difference (1.0-1.4 V) of about 1.2 V is supplied to the system to temporarily create an electric field that drives the ions to their different polarized poles and subsequently desorb these solvated ions when potential is switched off. Capacitive deionization targets/extracts the solutes instead of the solvent and thus consumes less energy and is highly effective for brackish water. This paper reviews Capacitive Deionization (mechanism of operation, sustainability, optimization processes, and shortcomings) with extension to its counterparts (Membrane Capacitive Deionization and Flow Capacitive Deionization).

Improving Electrochemical Properties of Polypyrrole Coatings by Graphene Oxide and Carbon Nanotubes

Nanostructured polypyrrole coating was applied on carbon paper via simple dip-coating and electrochemical approach. Hybridization with nanocarbon materials (graphene oxide (GO) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)) and their effect as an anchoring hybrid layer for the growth of polypyrrole towards improving electrochemical properties are studied. The loading of each component and their w/w ratio were evaluated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to characterize the properties of the coatings. The electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The results indicated the electrodeposition of polypyrrole is enhanced by the addition of MWCNTs to the GO layer due to the formation of a hierarchical network. The electrochemical performance of the modified electrode was shown to be highly dependent on the employed w/w ratio, reaching a capacitance value of about 40 mF cm⁻² for a carbon paper substrate modified with GO:MWCNT in a w/w ratio of 1:2.5 and PPy layer deposited by cyclic voltammetry for 30 cycles. The contribution to total stored charge was found to be primary from the inner capacitance component of about 95.5% contribution.

Electrostatic grafting of graphene onto polyamide 6,6 yarns for use as conductive elements in smart textile applications

Electrostatic graphene-grafted conductive yarns were prepared based on a scalable manufacturing method using conventional polyamide 6,6 (PA 6,6) multifilament yarns, common in the textile industry.

Wearable solid-state capacitors based on two-dimensional material all-textile heterostructures

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are a rapidly growing area of interest for wearable electronics, due to their flexible and unique electrical properties. All-textile-based wearable electronic components are key to enable future wearable electronics. Single component electrical elements have been demonstrated; however heterostructure-based assemblies, combining electrically conductive and dielectric textiles such as all-textile capacitors are currently missing. Here we demonstrate a superhydrophobic conducting fabric with a sheet resistance R_s∼ 2.16 kΩ□^-1, and a pinhole-free dielectric fabric with a relative permittivity ε_r∼ 2.35 enabled by graphene and hexagonal boron nitride inks, respectively. The different fabrics are then integrated to engineer the first example of an all-textile-based capacitive heterostructure with an effective capacitance C ∼ 26 pF cm^-2 and a flexibility of ∼1 cm bending radius. The capacitor sustains 20 cycles of repeated washing and more than 100 cycles of repeated bending. Finally, an AC low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency of ∼15 kHz is integrated by combining the conductive polyester and the capacitor. These results pave the way toward all-textile vertically integrated electronic devices.

Hybrid carbon nanostructured fibers: stepping stone for intelligent textile-based electronics

The journey of smart textile-based wearable technologies first started with the attachment of sensors to fabrics, followed by embedding sensors in apparels. Presently, garments themselves can be transformed into sensors, which demonstrates the tremendous growth in the field of smart textiles. Wearable applications demand flexible materials that can withstand deformation for their practical use on par with conventional textiles. To address this, we explore the potential reasons for the enhanced performance of wearable devices realized from the fabrication of carbon nanostructured fibers with the use of graphene, carbon nanotubes and other two-dimensional materials. This review presents a brief introduction on the fabrication strategies to form carbon-based fibers and the relationship between their properties and characteristics of the resulting materials. The likely mechanisms of fiber-based electronic and storage devices, focusing mainly on transistors, nano-generators, solar cells, supercapacitors, batteries, sensors and therapeutic devices are also presented. Finally, the future perspectives of this research field of flexible and wearable electronics are discussed. The present study supplements novel ideas not only for beginners aiming to work in this booming area, but also for researchers actively engaged in the field of fiber-based electronics, dealing with advanced electronics and wide range of functionalities integrated into textile fibers.

Electron Transfer Directed Antibacterial Properties of Graphene Oxide on Metals

Nanomaterials such as silver nanoparticles and graphene-based composites are known to exhibit biocidal activities. However, interactions with surrounding medium or supporting substrates can significantly influence this activity. Here, it is shown that superior antimicrobial properties of natural shellac-derived graphene oxide (GO) coatings is obtained on metallic films, such as Zn, Ni, Sn, and steel. It is also found that such activities are directly correlated to the electrical conductivity of the GO-metal systems; the higher the conductivity the better is the antibacterial activity. GO-metal substrate interactions serve as an efficient electron sink for the bacterial respiratory pathway, where electrons modify oxygen containing functional groups on GO surfaces to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS). A concerted effect of nonoxidative electron transfer mechanism and consequent ROS mediated oxidative stress to the bacteria result in an enhanced antimicrobial action of naturally derived GO-metal films. The lack of germicidal effect in exposed cells for GO supported on electrically nonconductive substrates such as glass corroborates the above hypothesis. The results can lead to new GO coated antibacterial metal surfaces important for environmental and biomedical applications.

Effect of Graphene-Graphene Oxide Modified Anode on the Performance of Microbial Fuel Cell

The inferior hydrophilicity of graphene is an adverse factor to the performance of the graphene modified anodes (G anodes) in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). In this paper, different amounts of hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) were doped into the modification layers to elevate the hydrophilicity of the G anodes so as to further improve their performance. Increasing the GO doped ratio from 0.15 mg·mg⁻¹ to 0.2 mg·mg⁻¹ and 0.25 mg·mg⁻¹, the static water contact angle (θ_c) of the G-GO anodes decreased from 74.2 ± 0.52° to 64.6 ± 2.75° and 41.7 ± 3.69°, respectively. The G-GO_0.2 anode with GO doped ratio of 0.2 mg·mg⁻¹ exhibited the optimal performance and the maximum power density (P_max) of the corresponding MFC was 1100.18 mW·m⁻², 1.51 times higher than that of the MFC with the G anode.

In situ preparation of cubic Cu2O-RGO nanocomposites for enhanced visible-light degradation of methyl orange

There has been a growing interest in gathering together photocatalysis of semiconductors, like cuprous oxide (Cu2O), and the excellent electron transmittability of graphene to produce a graphene-based semiconductor for photocatalytic degradation. In this paper, a mild one-pot in situ synthesis of cubic cuprous oxide-reduced graphene oxide (Cu2O-RGO) nanocomposites has been proposed for the removal of methyl orange. In contrast to pure cubic Cu2O particles under similar preparation conditions, the cubic Cu2O-RGO nanocomposites demonstrate enhanced visible-light-driven photocatalytic activity for methyl orange dye with a 100% degradation rate in 100 min. The enhanced photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to the increased charge transportation, effective separation of photoelectrons from vacancies, and the improved contact area.

Graphene-based fabrics and their applications: a review

This review covers the up-to-date synthesis and applications of graphene-based fabrics obtained by chemical coating or by chemical vapor deposition.

Surface activation of graphene oxide nanosheets by ultraviolet irradiation for highly efficient anti-bacterials

A comprehensive investigation of anti-bacterial properties of graphene oxide (GO) and ultraviolet (UV) irradiated GO nanosheets was carried out. Microscopic characterization revealed that the GO nanosheet-like structures had wavy features and wrinkles or thin grooves. Fundamental surface chemical states of GO nanosheets (before and after UV irradiation) were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results revealed that UV irradiated GO nanosheets have more pronounced anti-bacterial behavior than GO nanosheets and standard antibiotic, kanamycin. The MIC of UV irradiated GO nanosheets was 0.125 μg ml⁻¹ for Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium, 0.25 μg ml⁻¹ for Bacillus subtilis and 0.5 μg ml⁻¹ for Enterococcus faecalis, ensuring its potential as an anti-infective agent for controlling the growth of pathogenic bacteria. The minimum bactericidal concentration of normal GO nanosheets was determined to be two-fold higher than its corresponding MIC value, indicating promising bactericidal activity. The mechanism of anti-bacterial action was evaluated by measuring the enzymatic activity of β-D-galactosidase for the hydrolysis of o-nitrophenol-β-D-galactopyranoside.