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Heterogeneous oxidization of graphene nanosheets damages membrane

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Abstract

Graphene-based materials exhibit unique properties that have been sought to utilize for various potential applications. Many studies suggest that graphene-based materials can be cytotoxic, which may be attributed to destructive effects on cell membranes. However, there still are conflicting results regarding interactions between graphene-based materials and lipid membranes. Here, through cryo-electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and dye-leakage experiments along with in silico methods, we found that graphene oxide nanosheets induce significant membrane damage, while the effect of pristine graphene is negligible. We revealed the importance of heterogeneous oxidization of graphene-based nanosheets in damaging vesicle membranes. Moreover, that not only the oxidization degree but also the oxidization loci and membrane tension play important roles in the cytotoxicity of the graphene-based nanosheets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomechanics and Biomaterials Laboratory, Department of Applied Mechanics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    QianChun Wang, DeChang Li & BaoHua Ji

  2. College of Science, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, Xi’an, 710054, China

    XiaoBo Zhai

  3. Department of Cancer Biology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, 45267, USA

    Michael Crowe & JiaJie Diao

  4. MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, China

    Lu Gou & Lei Zhang

  5. Department of Engineering Mechanics, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, and Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China

    YinFeng Li

  6. Institute of Applied Mechanics, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China

    DeChang Li & BaoHua Ji

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  1. QianChun Wang
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Wang, Q., Zhai, X., Crowe, M. et al. Heterogeneous oxidization of graphene nanosheets damages membrane. Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 62, 64611 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-018-9317-7

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