Graphene Spike Mat and Fridge Magnet Technology to Fight Antibiotic Resistance

With its powerful antibacterial properties, graphene has the potential to be a breakthrough in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Until now, there has been no effective way to control these properties — and therefore no way to harness graphene’s potential in healthcare. Now, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have solved this problem by using the same technology found in your regular fridge magnet. The result is an ultra-thin, acupuncture-like surface that could act as a coating on catheters and implants — killing 99.9 percent of all bacteria on the surface.

Healthcare-associated infections are a common problem worldwide, causing great suffering, high healthcare costs and an increased risk of increased antibiotic resistance. Most infections occur in association with the use of various medical technology products such as catheters, hip replacements, knee replacements and dental implants, where bacteria can enter the body through a foreign surface. At Chalmers University of Technology, scientists have been investigating how graphene, an atomically thin two-dimensional graphite material, could contribute to combating antibiotic resistance and infections in healthcare. The research team had previously been able to show how vertically aligned graphene sheets prevent bacteria from attaching to a substrate. Instead, the bacteria are cut into pieces on the razor-sharp sheets and die.

“We are developing a graphene-based, ultra-thin, antibacterial material that can be used on any surface, including biomedical devices, surgical surfaces and implants, to exclude bacteria. “Because graphene prevents bacteria from physically adhering to the surface, it has the added advantage that you don’t risk the development of antibiotic resistance, unlike other chemical alternatives, such as antibiotics,” says Ivan Mijakovic, professor of systems biology at Chalmers University of Technology and one of the authors of the recently published study.

Kills 99.99% of bacteria on surfaces

But scientists have a challenge ahead of them. Although its antibacterial properties can be demonstrated in the lab, scientists have not yet been able to control the orientation of graphene flakes, and therefore have not been able to use the material on surfaces used in medical devices used in healthcare. Until now, graphene’s antibacterial properties could only be controlled in one specific direction: the flow direction of the manufacturing process. But now, scientists at Chalmers have achieved a promising breakthrough with practical applications in healthcare—and beyond.

“We have managed to find a way to control the effects of graphene in practically several different directions and with a very high level of orientation uniformity. This new orientation method makes it possible to integrate graphene nanoplatelets into medical plastic surfaces and obtain an antibacterial surface that kills 99.9% of the bacteria that try to attach. This opens the way to much greater flexibility when you want to produce bacteria-killing medical devices using graphene,” says Roland Kádár, Professor of Rheology at Chalmers University of Technology.

Unprecedented efficiency by controlling magnetic fields

By arranging the Earth magnets in a circle and obtaining a straight direction of the magnetic field inside the system, the researchers were able to obtain a uniform orientation of graphene and obtain a very strong bactericidal effect on surfaces of any shape.

Method published in Advanced functional materialsis called the “Halbach arrangement” and means that the magnetic field inside the magnet system is strengthened and uniform, while on the other side it is weakened, which allows for a strong unidirectional orientation of the graphene. This technology is similar to that found in a refrigerator magnet.

“This is the first time that the Halbach array method has been used to orient graphene in a polymer nanocomposite. Now that we have seen the results, we obviously want to introduce these graphene platelets into the healthcare sector so that we can reduce healthcare-associated infections, reduce patient suffering and combat antibiotic resistance,” says Viney Ghai, a researcher in rheology and soft matter processing at Chalmers University of Technology.

The new orientation technology shows significant potential in other areas, for example in batteries, supercapacitors, sensors and durable, waterproof packaging materials.

“Given its broad impact in these areas, this method truly opens up new horizons in materials tailoring, providing a powerful tool to effectively design and tailor nanostructures that biomimic complex architectures found in natural systems,” says Roland Kádár.