LAUSR

Abstract Carbon based nanocomposite with well-defined integrated properties are highly sort after in the field of nanobiotechnology and nanomedicine. We report a facile one step hydrothermal route for the production of graphene sheets interlaced with SnO2 nanoparticles. Graphene oxide (GO) sheets are obtained by the surface functionalization of powdered carbon black. A facile hydrothermal method is employed to integrate SnO2 nanostructures over the graphene surface. All the samples exhibited long term stability and unique fluorescence response with no sign of photobleaching even after a storage of 30 months. Antibacterial activity of the samples at each stage is tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which is a highly resilient bacterial strain possessing very high attributable mortality rate and causes a variety of ailments from diarrhea to meningitis. Bactericidal activity of carbon black, GO derived from carbon black and graphene-SnO2 nanocomposite is tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa using disk diffusion assay for the first time. Comparing the zone of inhibition produced by carbon black, GO and the nanocomposite, highest antibacterial performance is exhibited by the nanocomposite sample (25 ± 0.3 mm) followed by GO (16 ± 0.5 mm) and pristine carbon black (14 ± 0.3 mm). The bactericidal ability of the nanocomposite increased by ∼79% compared to pristine carbon black. MIC analysis revealed that the nanocomposite could inhibit the bacterial growth at a much lower concentration (250 μg/mL) compared to the precursors. The high antibacterial efficacy and long-term stability of graphene-tin oxide nanocomposite synthesized from carbon black facilitates its usage as a potent antibacterial agent in disinfectant and sanitation industry.