Heat Sterilizable Coatings Based on Nafion and Graphene Quantum Dots With Advanced Antibacterial Performance

Abstract

The study focuses on the preparation of electrostatically assembled layer-by-layer waterborne nanocoatings comprising negatively charged Nafion and positively charged imidazole modified-graphene quantum dots (GQD-Ims). We demonstrate here that Nafion/GQD-Im nanocoatings can combat the growth of representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and their excellent antibacterial performance is preserved after prolonged thermal treatment, indicating that the coatings can withstand dry heat sterilization without any decline in their properties. At the same time, the coatings show remarkable chemical and structural stability, while offering protection against UV-radiation as manifested by dye decomposition experiments. This novel type of nanocoatings demonstrates a unique combination of highly desirable characteristics, making them ideal candidates for applications related to active packaging for cosmetics and drugs, food processing, and disinfection of medical devices.