title: Antimicrobial Electrospun Biopolymer Nanofiber Mats Functionalized with Graphene Oxide-Silver Nanocomposites.
abstract: Functionalization of electrospun mats with antimicrobial nanomaterials is an attractive strategy to develop polymer coating materials to prevent bacterial colonization on surfaces. In this study we demonstrated a feasible approach to produce antimicrobial electrospun mats through a postfabrication binding of graphene-based nanocomposites to the nanofibers' surface. A mixture of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and chitosan was electrospun to yield cylindrical and narrow-diameter (356 nm) polymeric fibers. To achieve a robust antimicrobial property, the PLGA-chitosan mats were functionalized with graphene oxide decorated with silver nanoparticles (GO-Ag) via a chemical reaction between the carboxyl groups of graphene and the primary amine functional groups on the PLGA-chitosan fibers using 3-(dimethylamino)propyl-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride and N-hydroxysuccinimide as cross-linking agents. The attachment of GO-Ag sheets to the surface of PLGA-chitosan fibers was successfully revealed by scanning and transmission electron images. Upon direct contact with bacterial cells, the PLGA-chitosan mats functionalized with GO-Ag nanocomposites were able to effectively inactivate both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria. Our results suggest that covalent binding of GO-Ag nanocomposites to the surface of PLGA-chitosan mats opens up new opportunities for the production of cost-effective, scalable, and biodegradable coating materials with the ability to hinder microbial proliferation on solid surfaces.
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States.
authors.forename: Andreia F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: de Faria
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perreault
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States.
authors.forename: Evyatar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Shaulsky
authors.affiliation: ‡Department of Chemical Engineering, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee 38505, United States.
authors.forename: Laura H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Arias Chavez
authors.affiliation: †Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States.
authors.forename: Menachem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elimelech
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D057139:Nanofibers / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D012834:Silver; D006108:Graphite
keywords: antimicrobial properties; electrospun fibers; graphene oxide; nanocomposites; silver nanoparticles