title: Exceedingly biocompatible and thin-layered reduced graphene oxide nanosheets using an eco-friendly mushroom extract strategy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A simple, one-pot strategy was used to synthesize reduced graphene oxide (RGO) nanosheets by utilizing an easily available over-the-counter medicinal and edible mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mushroom was boiled in hot water to liberate the polysaccharides, the extract of which was then used directly for the reduction of graphene oxide. The abundance of polysaccharides present in the mushroom serves as a good reducing agent. The proposed strategy evades the use of harmful and expensive chemicals and avoids the typical tedious reaction methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More importantly, the mushroom extract can be easily separated from the product without generating any residual byproducts and can be reused at least three times with good conversion efficiency (75%). It was readily dispersible in water without the need of ultrasonication or any surfactants; whereas 5 minutes of ultrasonication with various solvents produced RGO which was stable for the tested period of 1 year. Based on electrochemical measurements, the followed method did not jeopardize RGO's electrical conductivity. Moreover, the obtained RGO was highly biocompatible to not only colon (HT-29) and brain (U87MG) cancer cells, but was also viable towards normal cells (MRC-5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides being eco-friendly, this mushroom based approach is easily scalable and demonstrates remarkable RGO stability and biocompatibility, even without any form of functionalization.
authors.affiliation: Manufacturing and Industrial Processes Research Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kasturi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muthoosamy
authors.affiliation: Manufacturing and Industrial Processes Research Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Renu Geetha
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ibrahim Babangida
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Abubakar
authors.affiliation: Manufacturing and Industrial Processes Research Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Surya Mudavasseril
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sudheer
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hong Ngee
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia ; Biotechnology Research Centre, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Hwei-San
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.affiliation: Low Dimension Materials Research Centre, Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nay Ming
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chin Hua
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.affiliation: Manufacturing and Industrial Processes Research Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sivakumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manickam
mesh_terms: D000363:Agaricales / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D001688:Biological Products; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D055772:Green Chemistry Technology; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001688:Biological Products; D010087:Oxides; D006108:Graphite
keywords: Ganoderma; RGO; extraction; ultrasound