Facile synthesis of silver@graphene oxide nanocomposites and their enhanced antibacterial properties

Uniform and water-soluble Ag@reduced graphene oxide (Ag@rGO) nanocomposites can be prepared by a facile approach in the absence of additional reductants, which display much better antibacterial properties than that of pure silver nanoparticles synthesized by microwave irradiation, and an equivalent antibacterial effect in comparison with that of the general antibacterial drug ampicillin. Their skin irritation tests with the use of rat models are taken in order to explore the toxicity of this nanocomposite, which confirm that no oedema or erythema appears on the injured rat skin after exposure to the as-prepared Ag@rGO nanocomposites.