A REVIEW OF THE MECHANISMS OF CYTOTOXICITY AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GRAPHENE

Graphene has exhibited wide applications in nanotechnology, especially in biomedicine because of its unique physical and chemical properties. The degree of toxicity of graphene materials depends on various factors such as surface charge, physicochemical properties, toxicity determination methods, and cell line. Direct contact of the very sharp edges of graphene with the cell membrane is one of the major mechanisms involved in the cytotoxicity of graphene sheets. By trapping microorganisms among graphene sheets, it is another effective mechanism to inactivate microorganisms, and due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, excellent biocompatibility, and two-dimensional structure, it can be used as an anticancer and antibacterial material. This review presents recent advances in the cytotoxicity, anti-cancer, and antibacterial activities of graphene and has focused on a wide range of toxicity and antibacterial mechanisms. This study is expected to facilitate the widespread application of graphene in other fields.