Synergistic effect of graphene oxide‐silver nanofillers on engineering performances of polyelectrolyte complex nanofiber membranes

The poor mechanical and antibacterial performance has become a big hurdle for extending the application of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) nanofibers in various fields. In this study, chitosan/gelatin (CG) composite nanofiber system was used for portraying the synergistic enhancement of mechanical and antibacterial properties of PEC nanofiber membranes by inclusion of graphene oxide‐silver (GO‐Ag) nanofillers. In particular, the introduction of 1.5 wt % GO‐Ag has raised the elastic modulus and tensile strength of CG nanofiber membrane by 105% and 488%, respectively, which are partially attributed to the alleviated restacking of graphene sheets by the anchored AgNPs. Meanwhile, the diameters of inhibition zone against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on LB‐agar plates induced by GO‐Ag/CG nanofiber membranes are increased by 80.5% and 50.1%, respectively, compared to that by CG membrane. The synergistic improvement of antimicrobial performance of GO‐Ag/CG may be related to the accumulation of microorganisms induced by GO. In summary, the incorporation of GO‐Ag composite nanofillers has emerged as an effective strategy for engineering PEC nanofiber membranes for potential applications in nanomedicine and tissue engineering. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46238.