Synthesis, characterization and cytotoxicity studies of Au-decorated graphene oxide nanosheets

Abstract

The present work used a wet chemical method to decorate GO nanosheets with Au nanoparticles (AuNPs/rGO). The precursor materials were graphene oxide (GO), hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (III), and ammonia. The optical characterizations were carried out using UV–vis, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The structural characteristics of the synthesized AuNPs/rGO were investigated by X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD). Moreover, Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Field Emission Electron Microscopy (FESEM) were utilized to study the morphology of the prepared samples. According to the results, the Au nanoparticles were dispersed and attached anywhere on the GO nanosheets. The calculated average particle size of the Au nanoparticles was 22 nm. Neuro2A cells were chosen for cytotoxicity studies of the samples to examine their biomedical capability. The results showed that the toxicity of GO nanosheets increased after decoration with Au nanoparticles. In summary, the growth of neuro2A cells was abolished in the presence of the prepared samples.