Synergistic effect of graphene oxide-silver nanofillers on engineering performances of polyelectrolyte complex nanofiber membranes

The poor mechanical and antibacterial performance has become a big hurdle for extending the application of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanofibers in various fields. In this study, chitosan/gelatin (CG) composite nanofiber system was used for portraying the synergistic enhancement of mechanical and antibacterial properties of PEC nanofiber membranes by inclusion of graphene oxide-silver (GO-Ag) nanofillers. In particular, the introduction of 1.5 wt % GO-Ag has raised the elastic modulus and tensile strength of CG nanofiber membrane by 105% and 488%, respectively, which are partially attributed to the alleviated restacking of graphene sheets by the anchored AgNPs. Meanwhile, the diameters of inhibition zone against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on LB-agar plates induced by GO-Ag/CG nanofiber membranes are increased by 80.5% and 50.1%, respectively, compared to that by CG membrane. The synergistic improvement of antimicrobial performance of GO-Ag/CG may be related to the accumulation of microorganisms induced by GO. In summary, the incorporation of GO-Ag composite nanofillers has emerged as an effective strategy for engineering PEC nanofiber membranes for potential applications in nanomedicine and tissue engineering.