Synergistic antibacterial effect of graphene-coated titanium loaded with levofloxacin

• After SLA and silanization treatment, graphene was loaded onto the titanium surface to obtain graphene-coated titanium. • Graphene-coated titanium has inherent antibacterial properties through membrane stress and the generation of ROS. • Graphene-coated titanium plays synergistic antibacterial effect through the adsorption and release of levofloxacin. • Graphene coating is a promising approach for titanium implants to prevent bacterial infections. In this study, graphene coating was introduced to the modified titanium surface to prevent bacterial infection in oral implants. We modified the titanium surface through SLA and silanization treatment and then coated the surface with graphene. The structure and surface properties were characterized by XPS and SEM. Graphene-coated titanium sheet was incubated with bacteria to test the antibacterial property, which was enhanced by adsorption and release of levofloxacin. We further implanted the graphene-coated titanium sheet loaded with levofloxacin into rabbits to test the antibacterial properties in vivo . The graphene coating exhibited inherent antibacterial properties through membrane stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). When loaded with levofloxacin, the graphene coating exhibited a synergistic antibacterial effect and effectively prevented bacterial infections following the implantation. The graphene coating is promising to improve the antibacterial functions of oral implant surfaces to prevent bacterial infection.