Graphene-based materials are gaining heightened attention as novel materials for environmental applications The unique physicochemical properties of graphene, notably its exceptionally high surface area, electron mobility, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength, can lead to novel or improved technologies to address the pressing global environmental challenges This critical review assesses the recent developments in the use of graphene-based materials as sorbent or photocatalytic materials for environmental decontamination, as building blocks for next generation water treatment and desalination membranes, and as electrode materials for contaminant monitoring or removal The most promising areas of research are highlighted, with a discussion of the main challenges that we need to overcome in order to fully realize the exceptional properties of graphene in environmental applications

Environmental applications of graphene-based nanomaterials.

Graphene and its derivatives are promising candidates for important biomedical applications because of their versatility. The prospective use of graphene-based materials in a biological context requires a detailed comprehension of the toxicity of these materials. Moreover, due to the expanding applications of nanotechnology, human and environmental exposures to graphene-based nanomaterials are likely to increase in the future. Because of the potential risk factors associated with the manufacture and use of graphene-related materials, the number of nanotoxicological studies of these compounds has been increasing rapidly in the past decade. These studies have researched the effects of the nanostructural/biological interactions on different organizational levels of the living system, from biomolecules to animals. This review discusses recent results based on in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity and genotoxicity studies of graphene-related materials and critically examines the methodologies employed to evaluate ...

Nanotoxicity of graphene and graphene oxide.

Graphene is considered the future revolutionary material. For its development, it is of fundamental importance to evaluate the safety profile and the impact on health. Graphene is part of a bigger family which has been identified as the graphene family nanomaterials (GFNs). Clarifying the existence of multiple graphene forms allows better understanding the differences between the components and eventually correlating their biological effects to the physicochemical characteristics of each structure. Some in vitro and in vivo studies clearly showed no particular risks, while others have indicated that GFNs might become health hazards. This Minireview critically discusses the recent studies on the toxicity of GFNs to provide some perspective on the possible risks to their future development in materials and biomedical sciences.

Graphene: safe or toxic? The two faces of the medal.

Graphene-based materials biocompatibility: A review

Carbon-based nanomaterials for removal of chemical and biological contaminants from water: A review of mechanisms and applications

Materials possessing excellent bacterial toxicity, while presenting low cytotoxicity to human cells, are strong candidates for biomaterials applications. In this study, we present the fabrication of a nanocomposite containing poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) and graphene (G) in solutions and thin films. Highly dispersed PVK‐G (97-3 w=w%) solutions in various organic and aqueous solvents were prepared by solution mixing and sonication methods. The thermal properties and morphology of the new composite were analyzed using thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), respectively. PVK‐G films were immobilized onto indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates via electrodeposition. AFM was used to characterize the resulting topography of the nanocomposite thin films, while cyclic voltammetry and UV‐vis were used to monitor their successful electrodeposition. The antimicrobial properties of the electrodeposited PVK‐G films and solution-based PVK‐G were investigated against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). Microbial growth after exposure to the nanocomposite, metabolic assay and live‐dead assay of the bacterial solutions exposed to PVK‐G presented fewer viable and active bacteria than those exposed to pure PVK or pure graphene solutions. The PVK‐G film inhibited about 80% of biofilm surface coverage whereas the PVK- and G-modified surfaces allowed biofilm formation over almost the whole coated surface (i.e.>80%). The biocompatibility of the prepared PVK‐G solutions on NIH 3T3 cells was evaluated using the MTS cell proliferation assay. A 24 h exposure of the PVK‐G nanocomposite to the NIH 3T3 cells presented 80% cell survival. (Some figures may appear in colour only in the online journal)

http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-4484/23/39/395101/pdf

Graphene nanocomposite for biomedical applications: fabrication, antimicrobial and cytotoxic investigations

Developments in alternative treatments for organophosphate poisoning.

Detection and location of OP-degrading activity: A model to integrate education and research.

Three Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates, KKWT11, CBF10-1, TTF10, were collected from organophosphate (OP)-contaminated soil in the Houston metropolitan area. A conserved metallo-β-lactamase (MBL) enzyme purported to function as a methyl parathion hydrolase was identified and found to be distantly homologous to the characterized Pseudomonas sp. WBC-3 methyl parathion hydrolase and shared no significant homology with other organophosphate hydrolases. Following expression of MBL enzymes cloned from S. maltophilia strains KKWT11, CBF10-1, and TTF10, respectively, an enzymatic preference for paraoxon was observed, with concentrations of 70, 40, and 30 µM of p-nitrophenol (PNP) formed after 48 h. Comparatively limited hydrolysis against the phosphorothioate methyl parathion was recorded with concentrations of PNP ranging from 9.5 to 3.5 µM after 48 h. A coexpressive construct harboring a modified organophosphorus hydrolase enzyme and the CBF10-1 MBL enzyme yielded only a slight improvement in degrad...

Alex Leon

Papers

Graphene nanocomposite for biomedical applications: fabrication, antimicrobial and cytotoxic investigations

Developments in alternative treatments for organophosphate poisoning.

Detection and location of OP-degrading activity: A model to integrate education and research.

Characterization and comparison of putative Stenotrophomonas maltophilia methyl parathion hydrolases