Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13065-024-01221-3

BMC Chemistry

RESEARCH

Open Access

Fluffy-like amphiphilic graphene oxide and its
effects on improving the antibacterial activity
and thermal outstanding of ethyl cellulose /polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel film
Hebat-Allah S. Tohamy1* and Hossam M. El-Masry2
Abstract
The antibacterial characteristics of graphene oxide (GO-SB) nano-sheets generated by charring sugarcane bagasse(SB) are described in this study. The antibacterial capability of GO-SB was improved when it was grafted with ethyl
cellulose (EC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to form GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels. Characterization of GO-SB nanosheets
and GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels was accomplished by using FTIR, SEM, XRD, and thermal studies. The antimicrobialactivity was carried out against Gram positive bacteria [Micrococcus leutus & Staphylococcus aureus], Gram negative
bacteria [Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa] and pathogenic fungal yeast [Candida albicans] applying thedisc diffusion method. The disc diffusion method results showed that the improved GO-SB/EC/PVA exhibiteda reasonable level of antimicrobial capability against Micrococcus leutus, demonstrating that the antimicrobial
improvement of GO-SB was more effective in the GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogels by increasing the inhibition zone ofGram-positive bacteria, Micrococcus leutus from (13.0 to 16.0 mm).

Introduction
The realm of packaging materials is vast and varied. Metals and glass are two commonly employed options due totheir exceptional resistance to corrosion and their inherent strength. However, polymers, particularly plastics,
reign supreme in terms of popularity. Their numerous
advantages include transparency, affordability, flexibility,
heat-sealing capabilities, and an impressive strength-toweight ratio. Unfortunately, plastics are non-biodegradable, posing a severe global environmental threat. Dueto concerns with their performance and processing, suchas brittleness and thermal distortion temperature, the*Correspondence:
Hebat-Allah S. Tohamy
hebasarhan89@yahoo.com
Full list of author information is available at the end of the article

use of biodegradable polymers has been limited [1]. To
address this issue, several researchers are working to create eco-friendly packaging solutions that take advantageof the ecological benefits of biopolymers in food packaging applications. Hydrogels have the potential to open
up new avenues for the creation of efficient biopolymer
packaging materials with desirable properties [2, 3]. The
shelf life of food cannot be extended by pure ethyl cellulose (EC) film, however adding an antibacterial agent
can prevent germs from acting on the film’s surface [4].
In comparison to films, hydrogels may offer new opportunities for the creation of effective biopolymer packaging materials with desirable properties [1, 3]. Due to theirability to absorb water without disintegrating, hydrogels are polymer networks that expand when exposed
to water [3, 5, 6]. There are several advantages to using
sustainable hydrogels in packaging sector, including their© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use,sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) andthe source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in thisarticle are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not includedin the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you willneed to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The
Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available
in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 2 of 9Graphical abstract

Keywords Amphiphilic graphene oxide, Packaging, sugarcane bagasse, Graphene oxide, Ethyl cellulose, Hydrogel,
Antibacterial activity

biodegradability, low density, low price, and minimalenergy consumption during production [1, 3]. Additionally, the hydrogels’ porous nature enables the controlled
release of the majority of antibacterial chemicals. Becauseof this, hydrogels have developed into superior antibacterial agent carriers. Antimicrobial drugs have been loaded
using it frequently in the interim. Consequently, antimicrobial composite hydrogel development has become apopular issue [7].
Poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) is widely grafted with biopolymers such as cellulosic polymer due to its advantageous
properties such as gas permeability and biocompatibility[8]. To accelerate antibacterial activity, EC can stimulate
the synthesis of extracellular matrix and the activationof macrophages [9]. PVA and EC could preserve swelling
ability [10]. However, the spread of bacteria frequently
leads to food spoilage [2, 3, 11]. Graphene oxide (GO–SB) will be employed as an antibacterial agent to address
this issue. GO-SB has bactericidal properties against all
pathogenic microorganisms [2, 12]. GO–SB has emerged

as a potential nanomaterial for improving antibacterial
capabilities due to its outstanding properties such as highoxygen density, high specific area, chemical resistance,
and thermal stability [2, 13, 14]. The GO–SB is highly
effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. It could physically or chemically interact with bacterial cells. GO–SB may cause structural damage to thebacterium, resulting in cell death. When GO–SB interacts with bacteria, harmful chemicals are released, resulting in biological death [2, 12].
Under atmospheric conditions, GO–SB might be produced by oxidising sugarcane bagasse agrowastes (SB) [2,14]. The GO–SB comprises both hydrophilic oxygenatedgroups and hydrophobic conjugated graphitic-regions(i.e., it is amphiphilic). The amphiphilic characteristic of
GO-SB allows it to be dispersed readily in the membrane
matrix [15].
We present here the development of eco-friendly
GO-SB nanosheets from SB through oxidation in normal
ambient conditions, as opposed to Hummer’s approachTohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 3 of 9

(which causes major environmental problems). The produced GO–SB was then grafted with EC/PVA copolymers to create a GO-SB/EC/PVA hydrogel film for use as
an antibacterial agent.

Experimental
Materials

Sugarcane bagasse (SB) was purchased from the Quena
Paper Industry Company in Egypt. Sisco laboratories Pvt.
Ltd. (India) supplied the ferrocene (FER). All materials
and reagents were utilized without undergoing any further purification.
Preparation of graphene oxide from sugarcane bagasse(GO–SB)For 10 min, a muffled oven at 300 °C was used to char a
combination of 0.5 g SB and 0.1 g FER [2, 14].
Synthesis of graphene oxide-based EC/PVA hydrogels (GO–SB/EC/PVA)

By ultrasonically dispersing 100 mg of GO-SB in water, a
uniform suspension sheet (10 mg/ml) was produced. This
GO–SB dispersion was combined with 10 mg/L of PVA
aqueous solution and 200 mg EC, and the combination
was ultrasonically processed for 30 min. The GO–SB/EC/
PVA hydrogel film was prepared by heating the resultant
dispersion in an oven at 50 °C [16].
Raman analysis



IG
(1)
ID


where C is the pre factor at 532 nm and equals to 4.7 andIG, ID are the intensities of G– and D– bands, respectively[17].
FTIR analysis

The KBr disc method was used by the Mattson 5000
spectrometer (Unicam, United Kingdom) for FTIR
analysis.

Sc
X100 (2)St

T hickness (d, nm) =

λ
(3)
2sinθ

where Sc = area of the crystalline domain, St = area of thetotal domain, θ = Bragg’s angle in radians and λ = X-ray
wavelength (0.1542 nm), respectively [18–20].
Morphological properties

Using a transmission electron microscope (TEM, JEOL
JEM-2100) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM,
Quanta-250) at an acceleration voltage of 120 kV, themorphology of the materials was examined.
Thermal properties

A Perkin Elmer thermogravimetric analyzer was used to
conduct the TGA examination at 1000 °C and a rate of
10 °C/min in a N2 environment. Using the Coats-Redfern
method, the thermal degradation kinetics of the prepared
R1, R2, and R3 samples were investigated:
Log




1 − (1 − α)1−n=T 2(1 − n)
log

Log

spectroscopy using Raman A WITEC Focus Innovations
Alpha-300 Raman Confocal Microscope was used for the
Raman spectroscopy. The relationship could be used tocompute the crystal size:

Crystalsize (nm) = C (λ) X

Cr.I. (%) =−log(1 − α)
T2



(4)


2RT
E
AR
1−
f or n = 1−βEE2.303RT

=
log



(5)
2RT
E
AR
1−
−
f or n = 1
βE
E2.303RT

where n is the order of the degradation reaction, denotes
the fractional conversion, ß (K/min) denotes the heating
rate, T (K) denotes the temperature, R (kJ/mol.K) denotes
the gas constant, A (s− 1) denotes the frequency factor,
and E denotes the activation energy [5, 19, 21]. Equation (6) was used to estimate the other kinetic parameters, such as enthalpy (ΔH), entropy (ΔS), and free energychange (ΔG).

∆H ∗ = E ∗ − RT,∆G∗ = ∆H ∗ − T ∆S ∗ and (6)Ah∗∆S = 2.303 log
RKT

XRD analysis

As the diffraction patterns were examined using a Bruker
D-8 Advance X-ray diffractometer (Germany)using a
40 kV voltage and a 40 mA current while using copper(K) radiation (1.5406), the crystallinity (Cr. I) was investigated. The following formulas can be used to determine
the Cr. I. (%)d-spacing (thickness):where (h) and (k) are Planck and Boltzman constants [2,6].
Swelling capacity

At 37 °C for one day, the starting weight of GO-SB/EC/
PVA (Wi) was incubated while being immersed in 20 ml
of PBS solution (pH 7.4). After a day, the GO-SB/EC/

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 4 of 9

Fig. 1 Raman spectra of GO–SB

PVA was taken out of the solution. Tissue paper wasused to wipe the composite surface of the sample cleanof the PBS solution. The wet weight (Wf ) of GO-SB/EC/
PVA was then calculated. The swelling percentage (S %)for GO-SB/EC/PVA was computed using the following
equation:

S (%) =

Wf − Wi
X100 (7)Wi

where Wf and Wi are the mass of the swollen gel initiallyand finally, respectively [6].
Antimicrobial assay

The antimicrobial test was carried out via the disc diffusion method according to previous work [11].

Results and discussion
The calculated crystal size for GO–SB was 7.89 nm. The
prepared GO–SB’s Raman spectra are displayed in Fig. 1.
The D–band, which occurs as a result of disorder in theatomic arrangement, is positioned at 1583.50 cm− 1, while
the G–bands, which result from the stretching of the sp2
carbon, are placed at 1375.00 cm− 1 [19]. ID/IG peak intensity ratios were 0.59. At 2874.50 cm− 1, the 2D–band issituated which used to determine how many layers there
are in the resulting GO–SB. In the case of single layer G,
the 2D–band is situated at approximately 2679 cm− 1. For
multilayer G (2–4 layers), the location moves by about
19 cm− 1. These allow us to infer that the GO–SB is multilayered and has been prepared. Additionally, for single-,
double-, triple-, and multi-layer G (> 4), the I2D/IG intensity ratios are frequently less than 1.6, 0.8, 0.30, and 0.07,
respectively. The preparation of multilayered (less than 4)
sheets is required since the calculated I2D/IG ratio is lessthan 0.12 [14].

Fig. 2 FTIR spectra of GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVAThe S (%) of GO–SB/EC/PVA was 285%. Figure 2
depicts the FTIR spectra of the synthesised GO–SB
and GO–SB/EC/PVA. Both GO–SB and GO-SB/EC/
PVA have peaks between 3439 and 3441 (O–H), 1708–
1722 (C = O), 1627–1647 (C = C), 1439–144 9 (O-C = O),
1094–1244 (C–O), and 1228–1232 cm− 1 (C–O–C). The
FT-IR spectra of GO–SB revealed the presence of oxygenated groups as a result of SB oxidation. The bands at
2921–2935 cm− 1 and 2852–2866 cm− 1 are assumed to becaused by the asymmetric and symmetric forms of CH2[2, 14]. The addition of PVA is confirmed by the additional peak at 2369 cm− 1 in the GO–SB/EC/PVA, whichis the normal absorption peak of C = C = C [16].
The O–H group’s relative intensity (RA) was at 3.0 and
0.83, whereas the C = O group’s RA was at 14.70 and 1.04
for GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA, respectively. This demonstrates that the free O–H groups of the GO–SB havebeen cross-linked with PVA groupings. For GO–SB and
GO–SB/EC/PVA, the RA of the C = C is 0.75 and 1.007,
respectively. After modification with EC/PVA, it was discovered that the O–H stretching for GO–SB (3441 cm− 1)
shifted to a lower frequency (3439 cm− 1) for GO-SB/EC/
PVA. This adjustment may have caused a decrease inintermolecular H–bond formation, which was observed
to occur [2, 14, 22].
The empirical crystallinity index (LOI) and mean H–
bond strength (MHBS) values were decreased as a resultof grafting EC/PVA into the GO–SB backbone. Figure 1
displays the LOI and MHBS values [11, 14, 19, 22].

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Furthermore, the C = O group (1722 cm− 1) in GO–
SB has the potential to make bonds with the functionalgroups on EC/PVA. As a result, for GO–SB/EC/PVA,
the C = O stretching frequency is moved to a lower wavenumber value at 1708 cm− 1 [2, 11, 22].
Images taken using SEM of the generated GO–SB
nanosheets and GO–SB/EC/PVA hydrogel are shown in
Fig. 3. With pores of 34.84 nm in size, the morphologyof GO–SB showed wrinkled, fluffy sheets. These fluffy
wrinkles were attributed to oxidation-induced disruptionof the planar sp2-hybridized carbon [2, 14, 18]. The GO–
SB/EC/PVA displayed a micro-sized cylindrical honeycomb structure with a pore size of around 6.00 µ m thatwas embedded between GO–SB/EC/PVA hydrogel, as
illustrated in Fig. 3b. According to SEM images, GO–SB/
EC/PVA hydrogel showed enhanced porosity after EC/
PVA was grafted onto GO–SB surface.
XRD showed two peaks in the GO–SB at 2 = 9.30° (001),
which is a typical signal for GO–SB, and 2 = 21.80° (002)[2, 14, 18]. The XRD peaks of GO–SB are in tune with
JCPDS data (89-7213) [23].
In the GO–SB/EC/PVA pattern shown in Fig. 4, there
are four weak diffraction peaks at 2θ = 11.5, 19.8, 23.2,
and 40.9°. Two faint diffraction peaks at 2θ = 11.5° and
23.2° may be caused by grafting on GO–SB lattice, andthe diffraction peak at 2θ = 19.8° should be attributed tothe distinctive diffraction peak of chain of PVA. The faintPage 5 of 9

peak at 2 = 40.9° could be the GO–SB lattice’s distinctive
diffraction peak [16].
The Cr.I (%) of GO–SB/EC/PVA was found to decrease
compared to that of GO–SB due to grafting whichcleaved H–bonds [2, 14, 18]. The XRD Cr.I. (%) was
compatible with the MHBS values determined by FTIIR
spectra.
Indicating the presence of some non-volatile components, the TGA/DTG of EC, GO–SB, and GO–SB/EC/
PVA revealed weight losses of 75.08, 76.80, and 85.00%,
respectively, at 1000 °C (Fig. 5; Table 1) [5].
For EC, the weight loss (WL) ranged between 38.61 and
238.79 °C, with a maximum at 196.69 °C (average WL of
3.83%), which was most likely brought on by dehydration
during the thermal degradation of EC. The combustion
produced the 2nd WL, which ranged between 262.7 and425.82 °C with a high temperature of 346.32 °C (average
WL ≈ 71.25%) [5, 6].
For GO–SB, the 1st WL occurred between 45.10 and
252.73 °C, with a maximum at 64.64 °C (average WL of
13.20 and 3.77%, respectively), and was probably broughton by dehydration. The thermal degradation mechanismsof GO–SB could be separated into three reaction phases.
Pyrolytic fragmentation produced the second WL, whichranged between 252.86 and 627.07 °C with a maximum
at 431.72 °C (average WL of 44.18%). The carbonizationrelated 3rd decomposition process had temperatures

Fig. 3 SEM and pore size distribution images of (a) GO–SB and (b) GO–SB/EC/PVA

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 6 of 9

Fig. 5 TGA/DTG of EC, GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA

Fig. 4 XRD of (a) GO–SB and (b) GO–SB/EC/PVA

ranging between 647.29 and 855.19 °C, with a maximum
at 836.32 °C (average WL of 19.42%) [6, 19].
The thermal decomposition processes of GO–SB/EC/
PVA could be divided into four major reaction steps,
where the 1st WL was between 42.33 and 126.31 °C, witha maximum at 110.71 °C (average WL of 3.77%) was likely
caused by dehydration. The 2nd WL was between 303.39
and 406.70 °C, with a maximum at 352.70 °C (average
WL of 60%) was the result of dehydroxylation and pyrolytic fragmentation. The 3rd decomposition step between

413.95 and 791.33 °C, with a maximum at 439.58 (average
WL of 17.73%), which was related to the carbonization[2, 6, 19].
The molecular structure and bonding energy of EC are
altered during its transformation into GO–SB/EC/PVA
hydrogel, which results in a difference in the thermal
behavior between EC and GO-SB/EC/PVA (Tables 2, 3).
This recommendation is supported by the following
evidence:– 	 The rise in computed activation energy (Ea) for
GO–SB/EC/PVA from 22.93 kJ mol− 1 for EC to 27.05
22.93 kJ mol− 1 for GO–SB/EC/PVA demonstrates
the thermal superiority of GO–SB/EC/PVA over EC/
PVA film owing to grafting with GO–SB [2, 6, 19].

Table 1 TGA/DTG data of EC, GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA
SampleEC
GO–SB
GO–SB/EC/PVA

Weight loss at 1000 °C, %Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
3.83
71.25
–
13.20
44.18
19.42
3.77
60.00
17.73

Step 4––
3.50

Total loss, %
75.08
76.80
85.00

Residual weight,
%
24.92
23.2
18.50

Temp. of steps in TGA, °C
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3196.69346.32–64.64
431.72
836.32110.71352.70439.58

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 7 of 9

Table 2 Thermo analytical and thermodynamic data of the thermal decomposition steps of the EC, GO–SB and GO–SB /EC/PVA
R2

SampleStage TGA range, °C DTA peak, °C n

EC

1st
2nd

38.61–238.79
262.76–425.82

196.69346.32A(s− 1)
1.5 0.944 0.38
1.5 0.911 0.30

GO–SB

1st
2nd
3rd

45.11–252.73
252.86–627.07
647.29–855.19

64.64
431.72
836.3200.999 19.53 –0.06
1.5 0.995 14.33 17.30
1.5 0.995 15.17 17.71

GO–SB/EC/PVA 1st
2nd
3rd
4th

42.33–126.31
303.39–406.70
413.95–557.00
607.01–791.33

110.71352.70439.58723.27

0
0
0
1.5

0.999
0.999
0.999
0.999

1.00
1.00
2.45
3.29

Table 3 Inhibition zone diameter (millimeter) of the samples
Test bacteria

12345-

Escherichia coli
Pseudomonas
aeruginosa
Micrococcus
leutus
Staphyllococus
aureusCandida albicans

SamplesTreated sample
Sample (1) GO–SB/EC/PVA

CN**

Nil*
Nil

Sample
(2)
GO–SB
Nil
Nil

16.0

13.0

23.0

Nil

Nil

21.0

Nil

Nil

‫ـــــــــــــــ‬

20.0
13.0

*Nil: No antimicrobial activity was recorded**CN.: Gentamicin 10 µg– 	 The ΔS for EC, GO–SB, and GO–SB/EC/PVA are
all negative, suggesting that the combustion was not
spontaneous. The higher ΔS (-0.97 kJ mol− 1) of GO–
SB/EC/PVA suggests that its thermal degradation
was more complex and required more externalenergy to deteriorate than EC (-0.51 kJ mol− 1) and
GO–SB (–0.69 kJ mol− 1) [2].
– 	 The value of ∑∆G for GO–SB/EC/PVA (674.91 kJ
mol− 1) is higher than EC (306.42 kJ mol− 1) and GO–
SB (365.58 kJ mol− 1), indicating the GO–SB/EC/PVA
is more non-spontaneous and require external heat
input than the EC and GO–SB, which improves theirhigh thermal stability [21].
– 	 The values of H for EC, GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/
PVA are low in the 1st stage and start to be increasedin the final stage (i.e. from 6.51 to 17.78 kJ mol− 1 for
EC, from − 0.06 to 17.71 kJ mol− 1 for GO–SB andfrom − 3.19 to 6.32 kJ mol− 1 for GO–SB/EC/PVA),
indicating the very high energy requirement as thereaction progresses [1, 21].
– 	 The pre-exponential factor (A) describes therelationship between the temperature and thereaction rate constant. The A values for GO–SB/

ΔH(kJ mol− 1)
6.51
17.78

–3.19
–5.20
6.53
6.32

Δs
(kJ mol− 1)
–0.25
–0.26
∑∆S= − 0.51
–0.22
–0.22
–0.25
∑∆S= − 0.69
–0.24
–0.25
–0.24
–0.24
∑∆S= − 0.97

ΔG
(kJ mol− 1)
127.05179.37∑∆G = 306.42
71.35
89.55
204.68∑∆G = 365.58
91.60
151.92180.91250.48∑∆G = 674.91

SE
42 × 10− 2
14 × 10− 1
75 × 10− 4
16 × 10− 2
46 × 10− 3
3.93 × 10− 8
6.05 × 10− 9
53 × 10− 4
20 × 10− 4E,(kJ mol− 1)
10.42
22.93
∑E = 22.93
2.63
19.99
24.45
∑E = 44.44
11 × 10− 4
6.13 × 10− 5
12.45
16.06
∑E = 27.05

EC/PVA are increased from 1.00 to 3.29 s− 1 whichmeaning their complex structure [25].
The findings revealed that GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA
exhibited no antibacterial or antifungal efficacy against
pathogenic gram-negative bacteria (such as E. coli and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa) or fungal yeast (such as Candida albicans). Furthermore, GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/
PVA demonstrated no antibacterial activity against grampositive bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus) (Fig. 6).
Because their cell membranes are resistant to disintegration or destruction. Therefore, none of these bacterial
strains demonstrate any response.
GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA exhibit potent antibacterial activity against gram-positive bacteria such as
Micrococcus leutus. This is evidenced by their specificantibactericidal spectrum, with inhibition zones ranging
from 13 to 16 mm. This promising anti-gram-positivebacterial activity is likely due to the ability of oxygengroups in GO–SB can interact with lipids, proteins, and
DNA/RNA of bacterial cell via H-bonds, π-π, and electrostatic bonds [24–26].

Conclusion
The oxidation of SB in muted conditions resulted in the
successful production of GO–SB. To improve the antibacterial properties of the hydrogel, the eco-friendly
GO–SB was grafted with EC and PVA. The GO–SB/EC/
PVA showed the greatest susceptibility to Micrococcus
leutus, with a peak inhibition zone of 16.0 mm. Moreover, GO-SB/EC/PVA outperformed GO–SB in antibacterial efficacy against the studied strains of Micrococcus
leutus, increasing antimicrobial activity while extending
the inhibition zone from 13.0 mm to 16.0 mm. FTIR,
SEM, XRD, and TGA/DTG analyses have been used tocharacterise GO–SB and GO–SB/EC/PVA. The results
demonstrated that EC/PVA had an outstanding effecton the GO–SB/EC/PVA. It improves the GO-SB/EC/
PVA hydrogel film’s thermal stability. The RA of the O–H

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

Page 8 of 9Consent for publication
Not applicable.
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Author details
1
Cellulose and Paper Department, National Research Centre, Cairo
12622, Egypt
2
Chemistry of natural and microbial products, Pharmaceutical and drug
institute, National Research Centre, Cairo 12622, Egypt
Received: 8 March 2024 / Accepted: 5 June 2024

Fig. 6 Antimicrobial activity of the prepared samples. 1-GO–SB/EC/PVA.
2-GO–SB

group was 3.2 and 0.83, although the intensity of the
C = O group was 14.70 and 1.04; whereas the intensity of
the C = O group was 14.70 and 1.04 for GO–SB and GO–
SB/EC/PVA, respectively. This verifies the substitution of
EC/PVA groups for the free OH groups of GO-SB.
Acknowledgements
The authors appreciate the National Research Center, Egypt, for supporting
this work.
Author contributions
H-A.S.T.: Data Curation, Investigation, Writing–original draft, Writing–review,
editing & Conceptualization, Visualization. H.M.E-M.: Preparing antimicrobial
part and writing, Editing & Data curation. All authors read and approved themanuscript.
Funding
Open access funding provided by The Science, Technology & Innovation
Funding Authority (STDF) in cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank
(EKB).
Data availability
No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

Declarations
Ethics approval and consent to participate
All methods used are in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

References
1. Roy N, Saha N, Saha P. Biodegradable hydrogel film for food packaging.
Recent Researches Geogr Geol Energy Environ Biomed 2011;353.
2. Tohamy H-AS. Reinforced modified carboxymethyl cellulose films withgraphene oxide/silver nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. 2022.
3. Tohamy H-AS, El-Sakhawy M, Hassan EB, Kamel S. Microwave-prepared Quantum dots and their potential applications as adsorbents and Chemosensors.
Materials. 2023;16(20):6722.
4. Su X, Yang Z, Tan KB, Chen J, Huang J, Li Q. Preparation and characterization of ethyl cellulose film modified with capsaicin. Carbohydr Polym.
2020;241:116259.
5. Tohamy H-AS. Cellulosic nitrogen doped carbon quantum dots hydrogels
with fluorescence/visco-elastic properties for pH-and temperature-sensitivity.
Diam Relat Mater 2023:110027.
6. Tohamy HA-S. Fluorescence ‘Turn-on’probe for Chromium reduction, adsorption and detection based on Cellulosic Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Quantum
dots Hydrogels. Gels. 2024;10(5):296.
7. Bao Y, He J, Song K, Guo J, Zhou X, Liu S. Functionalization and antibacterial applications of cellulose-based composite hydrogels. Polymers.
2022;14(4):769.
8. Zhang M, Wang D, Ji N, et al. Bioinspired design of sericin/chitosan/Ag@
MOF/GO hydrogels for efficiently combating resistant bacteria, rapid hemostasis, and wound healing. Polymers. 2021;13(16):2812.
9. Dutta SD, Patel DK, Lim K-T. Functional cellulose-based hydrogels as extracellular matrices for tissue engineering. J Biol Eng. 2019;13:1–19.
10. Thamer BM, Esmail GA, Al-Dhabi NA, et al. Fabrication of biohybrid electrospun nanofibers for the eradication of wound infection and drug-resistantpathogens. Colloids Surf a. 2021;609:125691.
11. El-Sakhawy M, Tohamy H-AS, AbdelMohsen MM, El-Missiry M. Biodegradable
carboxymethyl cellulose based material for sustainable/active food packaging application. J Thermoplast Compos Mater. 2023; 08927057231211236.
12. Yaragalla S, Bhavitha KB, Athanassiou A. A review on graphene based materials and their antimicrobial properties. Coatings. 2021;11(10):1197.
13. Krishnamoorthy K, Umasuthan N, Mohan R, Lee J, Kim S-J. Antibacterial activity of graphene oxide nanosheets. Sci Adv Mater. 2012;4(11):1111–7.
14. Mowafi S, Tohamy H-AS. Application of electro-spun nano-fibers based on
agriculture cellulosic biomaterial wastes for removal of dye and heavy metalfrom polluted water. J Text Inst. 2023; 1–10.
15. Luisetto MKE, Gamal A, Tarro G, Nili B, Cabianca L, Olegb YL. Self-assemblingproperty of Graphene derivates ChemicoPhysical and Toxicological implications. Adv Pharmacol Clin Trials 2022;7(3).
16. Li Y, Li J, Li Y, et al. Ultrasonic-assisted preparation of graphene oxide carboxylic acid polyvinyl alcohol polymer film and studies of thermal stability andsurface resistivity. Ultrason Sonochem. 2018;40:798–807.
17. Wahab HS, Ali SH, Hussein AA. Synthesis and characterization of graphene byRaman spectroscopy. J Mater Sci Appl. 2015;1(3):130–5.
18. Tohamy H-AS, El-Sakhawy M, Kamel S. Microwave-assisted synthesis ofamphoteric fluorescence carbon quantum dots and their chromium adsorption from aqueous solution. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):11306.
19. Tohamy H-AS, Mohamed SA, El-Sakhawy M, Elsayed AM, Kamel S. Potential
application of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose/shellac embedded withgraphene oxide/TiO2-Nps as natural packaging film. Int J Biol Macromol.
2024;257:128589.

Tohamy and El-Masry BMC Chemistry(2024) 18:116

20. Abdel-Fatah AS, Tohamy H-AS, Ahmed SI, Youssef MA, Mabrouk MR, Kamel S,
El-Gendi A. Anatase-cellulose acetate for reinforced desalination membranewith antibacterial properties. BMC Chem. 2023;17(1):112.
21. Tohamy HAS, El-Sakhawy M, Elnasharty MM. Carboxymethyl cellulose membranes blended with carbon nanotubes/ag nanoparticles for eco-friendly
safer lithium-ion batteries. Diam Relat Mater. 2023;138:110205.
22. Tohamy H-AS. Oil dispersing and adsorption by carboxymethyl cellulose–
oxalate nanofibrils/nanocrystals and their kinetics. J Surfactants Deterg. 2023.
23. Kumar N, Rodriguez JR, Pol VG, Sen A. Facile synthesis of 2D graphene oxide
sheet enveloping ultrafine 1D LiMn2O4 as interconnected framework toenhance cathodic property for Li-ion battery. Appl Surf Sci. 2019;463:132–40.
24. Ivanovski M, Petrovic A, Ban I, Goricanec D, Urbancl D. Determination of
the kinetics and thermodynamic parameters of lignocellulosic biomass
subjected to the torrefaction process. Materials. 2021;14(24):7877.

Page 9 of 925. Mc Dermott PF, Walker RD, White DG. Antimicrobials: modes of action andmechanisms of resistance. Int J Toxicol. 2003;22(2):135–43.
26. Zou X, Zhang L, Wang Z, Luo Y. Mechanisms of the antimicrobial activities ofgraphene materials. J Am Chem Soc. 2016;138(7):2064–77.

Publisher’s NoteSpringer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims inpublished maps and institutional affiliations.