Abstract Nanocarbons, especially two-dimensional carbons, have received considerable attention due to their unique structure and physical and chemical properties, which make them promising candidate materials for biomedical applications. In this study, we focus on graphene oxide (GO), which has many oxygenated functional groups and high affinity with water and biomaterials, and the synthesis of GO complexes with antibacterial agents, like cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and its derivatives. We found that the sustained release of CPCs from GO can be controlled by changing the terminal functional group of CPC. The prepared GO-CPC complexes were subjected to antibacterial tests against S. mutans. CPC with the carboxy group was degraded by the oxidizing property of GO, resulting in the loss of antibacterial properties. On the other hand, the other CPC derivatives were released from GO and showed antibacterial activities. Finally, we propose a new mechanism describing how GO and CPC form a functional complex, and how CPC is released from this complex. These findings will lead to pioneering the carbon-based functional antibacterial agents designed at the molecular level.

中文翻译：

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通过末端官能团调整氧化石墨烯和抗菌吡啶盐之间的相互作用

摘要 纳米碳，尤其是二维碳，由于其独特的结构和物理化学性质而受到广泛关注，使其成为有前途的生物医学应用候选材料。在这项研究中，我们专注于氧化石墨烯 (GO)，它具有许多含氧官能团，与水和生物材料的亲和力高，以及与抗菌剂如十六烷基氯化吡啶 (CPC) 及其衍生物的 GO 复合物的合成。我们发现可以通过改变 CPC 的末端官能团来控制 CPC 从 GO 中的持续释放。对制备的 GO-CPC 复合物进行了对 S. mutans 的抗菌测试。带有羧基的 CPC 被 GO 的氧化性降解，导致抗菌性能丧失。另一方面，其他 CPC 衍生物从 GO 中释放出来并显示出抗菌活性。最后，我们提出了一种新机制来描述 GO 和 CPC 如何形成一个功能复合体，以及 CPC 如何从这个复合体中释放出来。这些发现将引领在分子水平上设计碳基功能性抗菌剂的先驱。