IIT Guwahati discovers modified graphene oxide's potential in medicine

Graphene is an exceptionally strong material and its oxidised form, called Graphene Oxide (GO), offers a large surface area and low cytotoxicity, making it suitable for medical applications.

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed cost-effective experiments for modifying graphene oxide that can be used by other academic institutions to train personnel needed for cutting-edge projects in semiconductors, nanoelectronics, healthcare and quantum technologies.

A team led by Rajiv K Kar, assistant professor, at the Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology in IIT-Guwahati, have made these important discoveries regarding the use of modified graphene oxide for biomedical applications, a release said on Tuesday.

Graphene is an exceptionally strong material and possesses outstanding electrical and thermal conductivity. Its oxidised form, called Graphene Oxide (GO), offers a large surface area and low cytotoxicity, making it suitable for medical applications.

GO can be further engineered through defects, doping and functional modifications, which enhance its optical and electrical properties for improved biomedical sensing applications.

The IIT-Guwahati researchers are focusing on a specific functional modification of graphene involving the attachment of an amino acid, Cysteine or simple amine group, attachment over grapheme, the release said.

Speaking on the functionalised Graphene oxide, Kar said, "We studied how amino acid-modified Graphene Oxide behaves in liquid. We found that a particular bond in Cys-GO sheets enhances their stability, reducing random movements. This research has the potential to aid in the development of biomarkers for disease detection."

The team's extensive knowledge of Graphene-based materials has led to the development of innovative laboratory experiments designed to provide students with hands-on skills and inspire them to explore the possibilities of advanced materials.

These experiments are integrated into a Biomedical Science and Engineering (BMSE) course at the Jyoti and Bhupat Mehta School of Health Sciences and Technology, the release added.

Speaking about the innovative course, Kar said, "These low-cost laboratory experiments are applicable also to chemical, material science, nanotechnology and interdisciplinary courses. We believe these techniques will help in developing hands-on skills and inspire budding researchers and future scientists to find innovative solutions in the field of Biomedical Science and Engineering."

The research findings have been published in 'The Journal of Physical Chemistry C' and 'Journal of Chemical Education', in a paper authored by Kar along with his research scholars, Rajan Singh, Shweta Tiwari and Jyotirekha Jena.

The research has been supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Indian Nanoelectronics Users Programme, funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, the release added.