Green Synthesis of Silver-Decorated Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites Using Ziziphus spina-christi Leaf Extract:
Characterization and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61856/zekfbm34Keywords:
Graphene Oxide, Silver Nanocomposites, Antibacterial ActivityAbstract
Graphene oxide (GO) was successfully synthesized from graphite using a modified chemical oxidation method and subsequently functionalized with silver nanoparticles through a green synthesis approach employing Ziziphus jujuba (Sidr) leaf extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. The synthesized materials were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to investigate their structural and morphological properties. The characterization results confirmed the successful oxidation of graphite, the presence of oxygen-containing functional groups, increased interlayer spacing, and the formation of exfoliated sheet-like structures with a high surface area. The fabricated Ag-GO nanocomposite exhibited enhanced antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, producing inhibition zones of 11 and 8 mm, respectively. The improved antimicrobial performance was attributed to the synergistic interaction between the graphene oxide matrix and the anchored silver nanoparticles. These findings demonstrate that the greenly synthesized Ag-GO nanocomposite is a promising eco-friendly material for biomedical and environmental applications, particularly in antimicrobial treatments and water purification technologies, while highlighting the potential of green synthesis as a sustainable strategy for nanomaterial production.
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