Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites Through a Simplified Approach and Assessment of Their Bactericidal Potential

Abstract

The development of metallic nanoparticles has attracted tremendous interest and has potential applications in multiple healthcare regimes. This study used irradiation from a conventional microwave oven, a straightforward, simple approach to fabricate gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and AuNPs reduced graphene oxide nanocomposites (AuNPs-rGO). UV-visible (UV-Vis) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra were recorded to reveal the composition of the nanocomposites. X-ray Diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations were used to analyze the shape, size, and crystal structure of the produced AuNPs-rGO nanocomposites. The antibacterial activity of these nanocomposites was evaluated by disc diffusion assay and colony inhibition against S. aureus Gram-positive and E. coli Gram-negative bacteria. Our data revealed a face-centered cubic shape attached to the AuNPs to the rGO sheets. Furthermore, these methods demonstrated that bonding AuNPs with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layers resulted in bacterial suppression comparable to bare AuNPs. In addition, we investigated the antibacterial potential of AuNPs and nanocomposites against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginous and found them very effective. The approach described here for concocting the AuNPs, and AuNPs/rGO nanocomposites effectively produce very stable, well-dispersed, spherical particles anchored to the surface of rGO sheets have the potential to be used as antibacterial formulations against multiple drug-resistant strains.