Graphene oxide-based nanofilters efficiently remove bacteria from fuel

• Graphene oxide columns efficiently remove bacteria from jet fuel.
• Graphene oxide provides unimpaired fuel flow.
• Bacteria is irreversible trapped by graphene oxide.
• Silver-coated graphene oxide (Ag-GO) provides antimicrobial activity.
• Graphene oxide nanofilters filtered out bacteria with an efficiency greater than 99.9%.

This study examined the applicability of graphene oxide (GO) nanomaterial as an efficient filtration medium for removing bacteria from fuel. It was shown that GO columns efficiently trapped bacteria and allowed fuel to flow freely. Scanning electron microscopy and fluorescent microscopy confirmed that bacterial cells were trapped within the GO filter matrix and binding strength tests showed that cells were strongly bound to the GO matrix. Additionally, silver-decorated GO (Ag-GO) in the form of free-standing films and coatings were shown to be antimicrobial against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Ag-GO filter columns maintained the same filtration efficiency as undecorated GO, although some Ag-GO leached into the fuel. However, the positive results observed with Ag-GO present the possibility of combining GO with Ag-GO to increase the service life of the nanofilter by killing bacteria on contact. These findings significantly increase our understanding of the properties of GO and provide a new bioengineering application for the purification of fuel and non-polar solvents.