A supramolecular carbohydrate-functionalized two-dimensional (2D) surface was designed and synthesized by decorating thermally reduced graphene sheets with multivalent sugar ligands. The formation of host-guest inclusions on the carbon surface provides a versatile strategy, not only to increase the intrinsic water solubility of graphene-based materials, but more importantly to let the desired biofunctional binding groups bind to the surface. Combining the vital recognition role of carbohydrates and the unique 2D large flexible surface area of the graphene sheets, the addition of multivalent sugar ligands makes the resulting carbon material an excellent platform for selectively wrapping and agglutinating Escherichia coli (E. coli). By taking advantage of the responsive property of supramolecular interactions, the captured bacteria can then be partially released by adding a competitive guest. Compared to previously reported scaffolds, the unique thermal IR-absorption properties of graphene derivatives provide a facile method to kill the captured bacteria by IR-laser irradiation of the captured graphene-sugar-E. coli complex.

We systematically assessed the loading behavior of core-multishell nanoparticles (CMS NPs) for the solvatochromic dyes Coumarin 153 and Nile Red and studied the influence of the guest and its concentration on CMS NP aggregation using steady state absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). These measurements revealed the strong fluorescence of dye-loaded CMS NPs and formation of nonemissive dye aggregates in the outer CMS layer at higher loading concentrations of Nile Red, whereas in the case of Coumarin 153, a new species with red-shifted absorption and blue-shifted emission appeared. Moreover, dye loading triggers an aggregation of CMS NPs which have a hydrodynamic radius of 8 nm, thereby leading to CMS aggregates with a radius of 100–120 nm. These results underline the need for systematic studies of the influence of the guest and its loading concentration on CMS NP size for cellular uptake and in vivo imaging studies and the rational design of CMS NPs with improved transport and targeting abilities.

Carbon-based architectures, especially graphene and its derivatives, have recently attracted much attention in the field of biomedicine and biotechnology for their use as pathogen inhibitors or biosensors. One of the major problems in the development of novel virus inhibitor systems is the adaption of the inhibitor to the size of virus particles. We here report the synthesis and biological testing of carbon-based inhibitors differing in size for evaluating the potential size effect on the inhibition of virus entry and replication. In this context, different sized nanomaterials were functionalized with polygylcerol through a "grafting from" polymerization to form new polyvalent nanoarchitectures which can operate as viral inhibitor systems after post-modification. For this purpose a polysulfation was carried out to mimic the heparan sulfates present on cell surfaces that we reasoned would compete with the binding sites of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), which both cause major global health issues. Our results clearly demonstrate that the inhibitory efficiency is regulated by the size of the polymeric nanomaterials and the degree of sulfation. The best inhibiting graphene sheets were ∼300 nm in size and had a degree of sulfation of ∼10%. Furthermore, it turned out that the derivatives inhibited virus infection at an early stage during entry but did not affect cell-to-cell spread. Overall, tunable polyvalent nanomaterials are promising and efficient virus entry inhibitors, which can likely be used for a broad spectrum of enveloped viruses.

Efficient inhibition of cell-pathogen interaction to prevent subsequent infection is an urgent but yet unsolved problem. In this study, the synthesis and functionalization of novel multivalent 2D carbon nanosystems as well as their antiviral efficacy in vitro are shown. For this reason, a new multivalent 2D flexible carbon architecture is developed in this study, functionalized with sulfated dendritic polyglycerol, to enable virus interaction. A simple "graft from" approach enhances the solubility of thermally reduced graphene oxide and provides a suitable 2D surface for multivalent ligand presentation. Polysulfation is used to mimic the heparan sulfate-containing surface of cells and to compete with this natural binding site of viruses. In correlation with the degree of sulfation and the grafted polymer density, the interaction efficiency of these systems can be varied. In here, orthopoxvirus strains are used as model viruses as they use heparan sulfate for cell entry as other viruses, e.g., herpes simplex virus, dengue virus, or cytomegalovirus. The characterization results of the newly designed graphene derivatives demonstrate excellent binding as well as efficient inhibition of orthopoxvirus infection. Overall, these new multivalent 2D polymer nanosystems are promising candidates to develop potent inhibitors for viruses, which possess a heparan sulfate-dependent cell entry mechanism.

Polysulfated nanomaterials that mimic the extracellular cell matrix are of great interest for their potential to modulate cellular responses and to bind and neutralize pathogens. However, control over the density of active functional groups on such biomimetics is essential for efficient interactions, and this remains a challenge. In this regard, producing polysulfated graphene derivatives with control over their functionality is an intriguing accomplishment in order to obtain highly effective 2D platforms for pathogen interactions. Here, a facile and efficient method for the controlled attachment of a heparin sulfate mimic on the surface of graphene is reported. Dichlorotriazine groups are conjugated to the surface of graphene by a one-pot [2+1] nitrene cycloaddition reaction at ambient conditions, providing derivatives with defined functionality. Consecutive step by step conjugation of hyperbranched polyglycerol to the dichlorotriazine groups and eventual conversion to the polyglycerol sulfate result in the graphene based heparin biomimetics. Scanning force microscopy, cryo-transmission electron microscopy, and in vitro bioassays reveal strong interactions between the functionalized graphene (thoroughly covered by a sulfated polymer) and vesicular stomatitis virus. Infection experiments with highly sulfated versions of graphene drastically promote the infection process, leading to higher viral titers compared to nonsulfated analogues.