An ultrathin film membrane based on a nano-channeled reduced graphene oxide with enhanced antibacterial properties

The aim is to meet the global need for the development of environmentally compatible, energetically efficient and rapid materials, in reference to more efficient water purification technologies for waste water and industrial waste [1]. The antibacterial properties preclude the formation of fouling and preventing the closing of the pores, increase the performance of the membranes, the life time of the materials and the cost in maintenance. These prerogatives could be satisfied by exploiting the considerable characteristics of graphene, together with its characteristics to be an ultrathin, ultralight and supported by an economical sustainable production, that together with the antibacterial properties found makes it suitable too for the biomedical field. The synthesis of the material covers a green economy principle (innovation-sustainability-research). The structure of the film membrane is of few layers (2-5 layers), with a single layer thickness of about 0.420 μm and in the total of 1.059 ± 0.200 μm (Fig.1). The image 1b shows in detail the membrane surface and the porosity left by the copper nanowires introduced during the synthesis and then leached through chelating agent. The bactericidal properties of the membrane were tested, in liquid medium [2], against four multi-drug resistant clinical isolates, representative both for Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus Sa2) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli APN1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PaPh32 and AC12a) species (Fig.2).