Three-dimensional nanoporous Cu-BTC/graphene oxide nanocomposites with engineered antibacterial properties synthesized via a one-pot solvosonication process

Abstract Cu-based nanostructures are a well-known class of antibacterial nanomaterials with broad antibacterial properties. In this study, a facile and one-pot solvosonication process is introduced to synthesize Cu-BTC/graphene oxide nanocomposites with controlled morphological and structural properties. The size range of synthesized Cu-BTC nanoparticles is controlled through the synthesis process by adjusting the content of graphene oxide nanosheets in the synthesis precursor solution. A wide range of sizes and morphologies are achieved via this strategy and the size range of Cu-BTC nanoparticles from 30-40 nm to 15–20 nm are obtained by increasing the content of graphene oxide in the precursor solution from 0.005 to 0.15 mg/ml. We believe an increase in the number of available sites on the basal plane of graphene oxide for the nucleation of Cu-BTC nanocrystals is the main reason for the smaller size range of Cu-BTC nanoparticles with higher concentrations of graphene oxide in the precursor solution. Moreover, the antibacterial activities of the Cu-BTC/graphene oxide nanocomposites are also directly affected by the structure and morphology of Cu-BTC nanoparticles on the basal plane of graphene oxide nanosheets. The synthesized nanocomposite with the smallest size range of Cu-BTC nanoparticles presents the highest antibacterial activity. Consequently, the results presented here suggest that the antibacterial activity of Cu-BTC/graphene oxide nanocomposites can be engineered by controlling the structural and morphological properties of Cu-BTC nanoparticles through the synthesis process.