Noble metals such as silver and gold have been recognized since antiquity for their antimicrobial properties, but with the advent of antibiotics, their use in this regard was discontinued. The advancement in nanomaterials science in the past decade has resulted in a growing interest in their use as an adjunct to microbial control, particularly because of the rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria. Indeed, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and gold nanoaprticles (Au Nps) are currently being used as broad spectrum antimicrobials in a wide range of commercial products such as toys, cosmetics, fabrics, water filters and detergents. However, the widespread use of these metals poses another set of problems, such as toxicity to mammalian cells, pollution to the environment and cost effectiveness.<br/>It has been shown that the antibacterial activity of these nanoaprticles is dependent on particle size and distribution. Indeed, because of its unique properties in terms of mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and non-toxicity to mammalian cells, rGO is an ideal substrate for the tethering of metal nanoparticles. In this work, in order to assess the relative effectiveness of different noble metal/ rGO nanocomposites, we have prepared AgNPs and AuNPs/rGO nanocomposites using cheap and cost effective route and are currently measuring their antibacterial activity in terms of colony inhibition and bacterial DNA damage. We have shown that by bonding AgNPs and AuNPs to sheets of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), we are able to achieve similar levels of bacterial inhibition using far lower levels of metal ions compared to pure preparations of Ag NPs and Au NPs alone.

Cheap and cost effective synthesis of metal (gold, silver)/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites for antibacterial applications: A comparative study

249th National Meeting (2015)

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