Highly dispersed nanocomposite based on magnesium ion modified and silver nanoparticles loaded graphene oxide for enhanced antibacterial activity of silicone coatings

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) possess excellent antibacterial properties and have received widespread attention. However, the poor dispersion and easy aggregation of Ag NPs can severely diminish their antibacterial efficacy, limiting their practical applications. In this work, we report a simple method for preparing graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (Mg-GO/Ag NPs), in which GO is modified by Mg2+ and uniformly loaded with Ag NPs. The Ag NPs have an average diameter of approximately 11.14 nm, and uniformly are deposited on the surface of the GO. Compared with GO, the dispersion of Mg-GO/Ag NPs in deionized water (DW) and N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF) is significantly improved. The reaction principle of preparing Mg-GO/Ag NPs was revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Additionally, we studied the antibacterial properties of Mg-GO/ Ag NPs coatings against marine bacteria and Navicula tenera. This study introduces a novel approach for the preparation of high-efficiency silver-based antifouling coatings, with promising potential for a wide range of marine antifouling applications.