Graphene Oxide Antibacterial Sheets: Synthesis and Characterization

Graphene oxide (GO) was synthesized by oxidation of graphite powder using a time-saving modificationof Hummers’ method and its antibacterial activity was investigated. Different techniques were applied tocharacterize the synthesized GO. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) andAtomic Force Microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the crystallinity, morphology, topography andthickness profile of the synthesized graphene oxide, respectively. Fourier Transform InfraredSpectroscopy (FT-IR) was carried out to investigate the chemical structure and purity of the synthesizedsample. Optical properties were investigated by UV-vis spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of GOagainst Escherichia coli (E. coli) was evaluated by the Colony Forming Count (CFU) method. The resultsconfirmed the sample had excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli.