Characterizations of zinc oxide nanorods incorporating a graphene layer as antibacterial nanocomposites on silicon substrates

ZnO nanorods (NRs) incorporating a graphene layer were fabricated on silicon substrates. The graphene layer was placed on top and bottom of ZnO to form graphene/ZnO NRs/Si and ZnO NRs/graphene/Si nanocomposites. To characterize these nanocomposites, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used, as well as contact angle measurements to study hydrophilic properties. Finally, OD600 bacterial growth tests were performed to investigate the bacterial suppression capabilities. Results indicate that the ZnO NRs/graphene/Si nanocomposite exhibits the strongest bacterial suppression capability among the studied nanostructures.