Synthesis of silver-titanium dioxide nanocomposites for antimicrobial applications

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 16; no. 8; pp. 1 - 13
• Main Authors: Yang, X. H., Fu, H. T., Wang, X. C., Yang, J. L., Jiang, X. C., Yu, A. B.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.08.2014; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Escherichia coli; Exact sciences and technology; Inorganic Chemistry; Lasers; Low-dimensional structures (superlattices, quantum well structures, multilayers): structure, and nonelectronic properties; Materials Science; Nanocrystalline materials; Nanoparticles; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanotechnology; Optical Devices; Optics; Photonics; Physical Chemistry; Physics; Radiation effects on specific materials; Research Paper; Structure of solids and liquids; crystallography; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Silver; Antibacterial; Nanocomposites; Environmental and energy applications; Titanium dioxide; Germicides; Radiation effects; Environmental and energy applications; Purification; Core shell structure; Escherichia coli; Photocatalysis; Charge separation; XRD; Nanostructures; Coatings; Case study; Nanoparticles; Transmission electron microscopy; Growth mechanism; Hydroxyl radicals; Titanium; Bacteria; Nanostructured materials
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-014-2526-8

Silver-titanium dioxide (Ag-TiO 2 ) nanostructures have attracted increasing attention because of unique functional properties and potential applications in many areas such as photocatalysis, antibacterial, and self-cleaning coatings. In this study, Ag@TiO 2 core–shell nanostructures and Ag-decorated TiO 2 particles (TiO 2 @Ag) (the size of these two nanoparticles is ranging from 200–300 nm) have been synthesized by a developed facile but efficient method. These two types of hybrid nanostructures, characterized by various advanced techniques (TEM, XRD, BET and others), exhibit unique functional properties particularly in antibacterial toward Gram negative Escherichia coli, as a case study. Specifically: (i) the TiO 2 @Ag nanoparticles are superior in bacterial growth inhibition in standard culture conditions (37 °C incubator) to the Ag@TiO 2 core–shell ones, in which silver may dominate the antibacterial performance; (ii) while after UV irradiation treatment, the Ag@TiO 2 core–shell nanoparticles exhibit better performance in killing grown bacteria than the TiO 2 @Ag ones, probably because of the Ag cores facilitating charge separation for TiO 2 , and thus produce more hydroxyl radicals on the surface of the TiO 2 particles; and (iii) without UV irradiation, both TiO 2 @Ag and Ag@TiO 2 nanostructures show poor capabilities in killing mature bacteria. These findings would be useful for designing hybrid metal oxide nanocomposites with desirable functionalities in bioapplications in terms of sterilization, deodorization, and water purification. Graphical abstract