A novel class of ultra-thin fibres, which affect microbial growth, were explored.
The microbial properties of poly(methyl methacrylate) fibres containing 2, 4
and 8 wt% of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) were studied. GNPs were dispersed
in a polymeric solution and processed using pressurized gyration.
Electron microscopy was used to characterize GNP and fibre morphology.
Scanning electron microscopy revealed the formation of beaded porous
fibres. GNP concentration was found to dictate fibre morphology. As the
GNP concentration increased, the average fibre diameter increased from 0.75
to 2.71 mm, while fibre porosity decreased. Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia
coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to investigate the properties of 2, 4
and 8 wt% GNP-loaded fibres. GNP-loaded fibres (0 wt%) were used as the
negative control. The fibres were incubated for 24 h with the bacteria; bacterial
colony-forming units were enumerated by adopting the colony-counting
method. The presence of 2 and 4 wt% GNP-loaded fibres promoted microbial
growth, while 8 wt% GNP-loaded fibres showed antimicrobial activity. These
results indicate that the minimum inhibitory concentration of GNPs required
within a fibre is 8 wt%
