Scientists from Rice University and Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev have identified that laser-induced graphene, a material designed on purpose to have imperfections, both prevents the buildup of organic materials on its surface and can be used to electrically kill bacteria that comes in contact with it.
While typical graphene is simply a flat sheet of well arranged carbon atoms, laser-induced graphene (LIG) resembles a sponge that’s made of bits of graphene that have carbon atom rings of different sizes. The wild and messy structure of LIG actually seems to do a great job of preventing bacteria, for example, from building up on its surface, pointing to the potential that it can be used in medical implants that tend to develop bacterial biofilms around themselves.
Additionally, though normal graphene is itself a pretty good antibacterial surface, LIG seems to be an excellent conduit through which to send electric current to kill bacteria that may still be clinging to it.
Here’s video of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria tagged with a fluorescent protein, being lured toward its death at an anode of laser-induced graphene. The anode on top of the screen is kept apart from the cathode by only 100 micron gap, which carries a small current:
Study in journal Applied Materials & Interfaces: Laser-Induced Graphene Layers and Electrodes Prevents Microbial Fouling and Exerts Antimicrobial Action…
Via: Rice University…