Effect of graphene oxide, reduced graphene oxide, silver and reduced graphene oxide/silver nanohybrid on hydroxypropyl methylcellulose nanocomposites

Graphene has intriguing electrical, mechanical, thermal and biological properties that are being investigated for use in composites, modern electronics, membranes, and in the industry. Also, graphene has huge biological applications. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is a widely used bio-polymer effective for various biomedical applications. As a filler in this polymer matrix, graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) can be used to improve various properties of the matrix. They are also beneficial for bio-applications like drug delivery, the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite films. Here we synthesize a series of polymer nanocomposites taking GO, RGO and Ag NPs as a filler by the solution mixing method and explore the comparative biological application of such composites. We choose Ag NPs as it has the superior potential for multiple drug resistance. X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared and scanning electron microscope studies are used to describe how nanocomposites are formed. Energy-dispersive X-ray and dynamic mechanical analyzer analyses were also done to check elemental percentage in nanocomposite films and mechanical properties, respectively. To check several fruitful applications, antimicrobial properties, ROS generation and in-vitro drug release study of nanocomposite films with the loading of Ketorolac Tromethamine were also performed.