Preparation of small-sized graphene oxide sheets and their biological applications

Abstract

By using carbon nanohorns as starting materials, small- and uniform-sized graphene oxide (S-GO) sheets can be prepared in high yields via an oxidation method. The obtained S-GO sheets have a band-like structure with a length of 20–50 nm, a width of 2–10 nm, and a thickness of 0.5–5 nm. S-GO sheets are hydrophilic due to abundant oxygenated groups on the surfaces and edges; hence, this nanomaterial is highly dispersive in aqueous solutions and some hydrophilic organic solvents. Additionally, like other S-GO samples, the S-GO sheets prepared here are strongly fluorescent over the visible light wavelength region. These characteristics underscore the high potential of S-GO sheets for nanomedical and diagnostic applications. In proof-of-concept experiments, the S-GO sheets were conjugated with an arginine–glycine–aspartic acid derivative for tumour-targeting drug delivery applications, and with an immunoglobulin G antibody for immunoassay applications.