Antibacterial activity of single crystalline silver-doped anatase TiO2 nanowire arrays

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 372; pp. 139 - 144
• Main Authors: Zhang, Xiangyu, Li, Meng, He, Xiaojing, Hang, Ruiqiang, Huang, Xiaobo, Wang, Yueyue, Yao, Xiaohong, Tang, Bin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.05.2016
• Subjects: Anatase; Antibacterial activity; Antibacterial properties; Arrays; Bacteria; Crystal structure; Escherichia coli; Nanostructure; Nanowire; Nanowires; Silver; TiO2; Titanium dioxide; Nanowire; Silver; Antibacterial activity; TiO2
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.12.094

The silver-doped TiO2 nanowire arrays on titanium foil substrate were synthesized via a two-step process. It includes: deposition of AgTi films on titanium foil by magnetron sputtering; preparation of AgNW arrays on AgTi films via alkali (NaOH) hydrothermal treatment and ion-exchange with HCl, followed by calcinations. •Ag-doped TiO2 nanowire arrays have been prepared by a duplex-treatment.•The duplex-treatment consisted of magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal growth.•Ag-doped nanowire arrays show excellent antibacterial activity against E. coli. Well-ordered, one-dimensional silver-doped anatase TiO2 nanowire (AgNW) arrays have been prepared through a hydrothermal growth process on the sputtering-deposited AgTi layers. Electron microscope analyses reveal that the as-synthesized AgNW arrays exhibit a single crystalline phase with highly uniform morphologies, diameters ranging from 85 to 95nm, and lengths of about 11μm. Silver is found to be doped into TiO2 nanowire evenly and mainly exists in the zerovalent state. The AgNW arrays show excellent efficient antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli), and all of the bacteria can be killed within 1h. Additionally, the AgNW arrays can still kill E. coli after immersion for 60 days, suggesting the long-term antibacterial property. The technique reported here is environmental friendly for formation of silver-containing nanostructure without using any toxic organic solvents.