Solvent-Evaporation-Induced Synthesis of Graphene Oxide/Peptide Nanofiber (GO/PNF) Hybrid Membranes Doped with Silver Nanoparticles for Antibacterial Application

Designing functional membranes through the collaboration of multi-dimensional nanomaterials is of particular interest in environmental and biomedical applications. Herein, we propose a facile and green synthetic strategy by collaborating with graphene oxide (GO), peptides, and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to synthesize functional hybrid membranes with favourable antibacterial effects. GO nanosheets are functionalized with self-assembled peptide nanofibers (PNFs) to form GO/PNFs nanohybrids, in which the PNFs not only improve the biocompatibility and dispersity of GO, but also provide more active sites for growing and anchoring AgNPs. As a result, multifunctional GO/PNFs/AgNP hybrid membranes with adjustable thickness and AgNP density are prepared via the solvent evaporation technique. The structural morphology of the as-prepared membranes is characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and their properties are analyzed by spectral methods. The hybrid membranes are then subjected to antibacterial experiments and their excellent antibacterial performances are demonstrated.