Amino acid modified graphene oxide for assembly of nanoparticles for wastewater treatment

Abstract The surface modifications of graphene oxide (GO) by biomolecules are widely used to increase the biocompatibility, change the hydrophobicity, solubility and surface properties of GO, and provide GO with selectivity to specific molecules. A simple, biocompatible and reproducible way to decorate GO was introduced with the help of e-poly-L-lysine (e-PL). The GO/PL composite showed good water dispersibility and high biocompatibility, provided multiple functional amino groups, and afforded GO with reducing property, which in turn offered an ideal platform for the deposition of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles. The as-formed GO/PL/Fe2O3 composite showed catalytic ability and adsorption capacity, along with good performance for protein interaction and immobilization. The low cost, large-scale preparation, along with the easy processability provided the GO/PL/Fe2O3 composites with variety of potential practical applications.