Do CVD grown graphene films have antibacterial activity on metallic substrates?

摘要

Accurate assessment of the antibacterial activity of graphene requiresconsideration of both the graphene fabrication method and, for supported films,the properties of the substrate. Large-area graphene films produced by chemicalvapor deposition were grown directly on copper substrates or transferred on agold substrate and their effect on the viability and proliferation of theGram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteriaEscherichia coli were assessed. The viability and the proliferation of bothbacterial species were not affected when they were grown on a graphene filmentirely covering the gold substrate, indicating that conductivity plays norole on bacterial viability and graphene has no antibacterial activity againstS. aureus and E. coli. On the other hand, antibacterial activity was observedwhen graphene coated the copper substrates, resulting from the release ofbactericidal cupric ions in inverse proportion to the graphene surfacecoverage.