Among the most promising nanomaterials for large-scale application are low-dimensional carbons � both 1D fibrous forms (nanotubes, nanofibers) and 2D plate-like forms (graphene and related materials).   The family of graphene-based materials includes not only the isolated monolayer, but also multilayer forms (few-layer graphene, ultra-thin graphite) and chemically modified forms (graphene oxide and its derivatives) that are emerging as high-volume-production materials with significant potential for human exposure.  This talk describes recent research on the biological and environmental behaviors of emerging low-dimensional nanocarbons with emphasis on graphene materials and the unique features that distinguish them from carbons in the natural environment.   Among these unique engineered features are atomic thinness and extreme aspect ratio, which influence exposure pathways, lung deposition, cell uptake and vesicular packaging, lung clearance, toxicity, and biodegradation.   The chemical compositions in the broader graphene family vary widely, and also play an important role in pro-oxidant and anti-oxidant behavior, biological adsorption phenomena, in vitro testing artifacts, and, in the case of bulk-phase graphene oxide, lead to exothermic decomposition events that can be an explosion safety concern for large-scale manufacturing and handling.  Finally, most graphene-enabled products involve hybridization of graphene with one or more other nanostructured materials, and complex interactions between these components can lead to new biological effects not seen in the pure nanomaterials.   This talk summarizes recent research on the biological interactions and safety of graphene-based materials and hybrids as a guide to their safe development and commercialization.

Biology in flatland: Toward the safe design of graphene-based materials

248th National Meeting (2014)

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