Graphene Oxide Chemical Refining Screening to Improve Blood Compatibility of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) nanoparticles, due to their favorable water solubility, compared to graphene (GA), are a hot research topic in biomedical and pharmaceutical research. However, GO clinical translation may be complicated by its high surface/volume ratio enhancing the interaction with human blood components. In fact, GO’s bi-dimensional nature and strong negative charge may lead to severe biological effects, such as thrombogenicity and immune cell activation. This study explores the impact of further GO surface chemical modulation on major adverse effects: blood plasma coagulation and hemolysis. To this aim, we refined GO nanoparticles by fine-tuned reduction chemistry, esterification and introduction of negative or positive charges. With this approach, we were able to mitigate plasma coagulation and hemolysis at variable degrees and to identify GO derivatives with improved biocompatibility. This opens the door to the progress of graphene-based nanotheranostic applications.