title: Calixarene Assisted Rapid Synthesis of Silver-Graphene Nanocomposites with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity.
abstract: Demonstrated herein is a single rapid approach employed for synthesis of Ag-graphene nanocomposites, with excellent antibacterial properties and low cytotoxicity, by utilizing a continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) process in combination with p-hexasulfonic acid calix[6]arene (SCX6) as an effective particle stabilizer. The nanocomposites showed high activity against E. coli (Gram-negative) and S. aureus (Gram-positive) bacteria. The materials were characterized using a range of techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis spectrophotometry, FT-IR, and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). This rapid, single step synthetic approach not only provides a facile means of enabling and controlling graphene reduction (under alkaline conditions) but also offers an optimal route for homogeneously producing and depositing highly crystalline Ag nanostructures into reduced graphene oxide substrate.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, London South Bank University , 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Suela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kellici
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University , 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acord
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering, London South Bank University , 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Arni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaughn
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University , 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nicholas P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Power
authors.affiliation: Cardiff Catalysis Institute, School of Chemistry, Cardiff University , Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Morgan
authors.affiliation: Nanoinvestigation Centre at Liverpool, Liverpool University , 1-3 Brownlow Street, Liverpool L69 3GL, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Heil
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sébastien P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Facq
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge , Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Giulio I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Lampronti
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047250:Calixarenes; D004926:Escherichia coli; D006108:Graphite; D053761:Nanocomposites; D012834:Silver; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D047250:Calixarenes; D012834:Silver; D006108:Graphite
keywords: antibacterial; calixarene; graphene; hydrothermal; nanocomposite; silver