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.