The Effect of Graphene Oxide/Reduced Graphene Oxide Functionalized with Metal Nanoparticles on Dermal, Bacterial, and Cancerous/Non-Cancerous Epithelial Cells

Graphene and metal nanoparticles are permeating health products but their effects individually and combined on human skin are uncertain. This project studied the effect of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) functionalized with Ag or Pt nanoparticles (Ag/PtNPs) on bacterial, dermal (DFBC's), and cancerous (SCC13's) and non-cancerous (DO33's) epidermal cells. GO was functionalized with AgNPs or PtNPs, forming metallized-GO; then reduced with NaBH4. FTIR and SEM confirmed the synthesis and composition. Confocal and SEM showed that Ag-rGO, depending on nanoparticle size, killed either S. Aureus or K. Pneumoniae, while Pt-rGO and rGO had no effect. Rhodamine staining revealed that Ag-rGO was very toxic to SCC13's, but only slightly toxic to DO33's. Pt-rGO and rGO had little effect on SCC13's and DO33's. At high concentrations all GO solutions inhibited cell growth but were not cytotoxic. Optical microscopy displayed that every GO/rGO solution adhered to DFBC's and influenced their direction of growth, making GO/rGO potentially applicable for wound healing.