Preparation of graphene oxide with silver nanowires to enhance antibacterial properties and cell compatibility

In this work, we present a simple approach for the deposition of silver nanowires onto graphene oxide sheets (GO-Ag NWs). Silver nanowires (Ag NWs) were evenly distributed and tightly adherent to the surface of the graphene oxide (GO) sheets. The results from this study showed that silver ions were released from the GO sheets in a constant and slow manner. Importantly, the results showed that the antibacterial activity of the GO-Ag NWs was much more potent than that of the silver nanowires. Changes in the cellular morphology, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the content of DNA and RNA were also investigated. It was demonstrated that the cell membrane integrity was damaged, and DNA, RNA and proteins leaked out due to oxidative damage of the bacteria through the release of ROS, brought about by the silver ions. On the basis of the present investigation, a plausible antibacterial mechanism of the GO-Ag NWs composites was proposed. Lastly, the results showed that the samples which decreased bacterial growth the most did not inhibit human skin keratinocyte cell growth compared to the Ag NWs. In summary, the results from this study indicated that the GO-Ag NWs provided unprecedented antibacterial properties while maintaining the cell proliferation capacity necessary for enhancing the wide use of silver in medical applications.