A Review of Antibacterial Properties of Graphene-Based Nanomaterials

With the escalating challenges of global water scarcity and pollution, developing efficient, safe, and sustainable water disinfection technologies has become an urgent priority. Traditional methods like chlorine disinfection and ultraviolet sterilization face issues such as byproduct formation, spread of drug-resistant bacteria, and insufficient long-term disinfection capacity. Graphene-based nanomaterials, leveraging their unique physicochemical properties—including high specific surface area, excellent mechanical strength, and tunable electronic characteristics—demonstrate broad-spectrum antibacterial performance and biofilm resistance through synergistic effects of physical cleavage, oxidative stress, and adsorption mechanisms. Notably, they exhibit significant inhibitory effects on drug-resistant bacteria. This paper systematically reviews the antibacterial mechanisms, influencing factors, and practical applications of graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) in various forms and composite systems. It analyzes their performance degradation, ecological risks, and recycling challenges in real-world aquatic environments, while proposing future directions for intelligent material design, mechanistic studies, and environmental safety assessments for engineering applications.