Exploring Nitrogen-Functionalized Graphene Composites for Urinary Catheter Applications

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023

Authors

Rita Teixeira dos Santos (Author) FEUP; Luciana Gomes (Author) FEUP; Vieira, R (Author) Other; Sousa Cardoso, F (Author) Other; Soares, SGP (Author) Other; Filipe Mergulhão (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Nanomaterials

Vol. 13

Final page: 2604

ISSN: 2079-4991

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 0 Citations

Scopus - 0 Citations

Associated Projects

LEPABE - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

ALiCE - ALiCE - Laboratório Associado em Engenharia Química

NanoCAT - NanoCAT - Utilização de nanotubos de carbono modificados para combater infecções em catéteres urinários e stents

2SMART - 2SMART - engineered Smart materials for Smart citizens

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Z-3AC

DOI: 10.3390/nano13182604

Abstract (EN): Graphene has been broadly studied, particularly for the fabrication of biomedical devices, owing to its physicochemical and antimicrobial properties. In this study, the antibiofilm efficacy of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP)-based composites as coatings for urinary catheters (UCs) was investigated. GNPs were functionalized with nitrogen (N-GNP) and incorporated into a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrix. The resulting materials were characterized, and the N-GNP/PDMS composite was evaluated against single- and multi-species biofilms of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Both biofilm cell composition and structure were analyzed. Furthermore, the antibacterial mechanisms of action of N-GNP were explored. The N-GNP/PDMS composite showed increased hydrophobicity and roughness compared to PDMS. In single-species biofilms, this composite significantly reduced the number of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae cells (by 64, 41, and 29%, respectively), and decreased S. aureus biofilm culturability (by 50%). In tri-species biofilms, a 41% reduction in total cells was observed. These results are aligned with the outcomes of the biofilm structure analysis. Moreover, N-GNP caused changes in membrane permeability and triggered reactive oxygen species (ROS) synthesis in S. aureus, whereas in Gram-negative bacteria, it only induced changes in cell metabolism. Overall, the N-GNP/PDMS composite inhibited biofilm development, showing the potential of these carbon materials as coatings for UCs. © 2023 by the authors.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific