Antibacterial and Low-Defect Graphene Ink Coatings

An original method is developed for producing organic-based graphene ink by the micromechanical exfoliation of graphite in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), followed by the isolation of graphene particles by changing the solvent and stabilization with ethylcellulose. It is shown that the yield of graphene particles by micromechanical exfoliation in NMP is more than 2 times higher than the same parameter when using dimethylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. Organic-based graphene inks can be used as antibacterial and anti-corrosion coatings with high adhesion and low imperfection. The studies show the high bactericidal efficiency of graphene ink, which amounts to 98.1–99.9% using the example of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus epidermidis. At the same time, for the developed ink, the reduction in contamination is 2–3 orders of magnitude, which characterizes the developed composite as an effective antibacterial agent.