Synthesis and Antibacterial Effect Evaluation of AgNPs, TiO2NPs, and TiO2-Ag Nanocomposites
Mourad Chkaif 1,2
Abstract
Due to the increase of bacterial infections that keep threatening human health and safety, the need for efficient and strong antibacterial agents is still fatal. TiO2 nanoparticle’s photocatalytic properties have been widely used as antibacterial agents. However, the use of this photocatalytic nanomaterial has some drawbacks due to its wide bandgap energy and necessity for UV irradiations. TiO2-Ag nanocomposite has been recognized as one of the good bactericidal agents due to its excellent antibacterial and photocatalytic properties upon visible light. To explore the antibacterial activity of these nanomaterials, this study was conducted to synthesize three types of nanomaterials, namely silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2), and TiO2-Ag nanocomposites. TiO2 was doped with carbon and nitrogen elements (C,N-TiO2) in this study to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 under visible light irradiation. C,N-TiO2 was further used to combine with AgNPs to form a novel nanocomposite (TiO2-Ag). Both SEM and TEM techniques were used to characterize the nanomaterials’ morphology and size. The nanoparticles’ crystalline phase was further investigated via the XRD technique. The antibacterial effect of the synthesized nanoparticles within the concentration range of 10, 20, 50, and 100 ppm was tested using two different strains of bacteria, i.e., E. coli and B. subtilis.
The C,N-TiO2-Ag showed a better antibacterial effect against both bacterial strains compared AgNPs and C,N-TiO2 nanoparticles.
Keywords
antibacterial; nanocomposite; AgNPs; C,N-TiO2; C,N-TiO2-Ag
Cite This Article
Chkaif, M. (2021). Synthesis and Antibacterial Effect Evaluation of AgNPs, TiO2NPs, and TiO2-Ag Nanocomposites. International Journal of Scientific Advances (IJSCIA), Volume 2| Issue 3: May-Jun 2021, Pages 339-346, URL: https://www.ijscia.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Volume2-Issue3-May-Jun-No.91-339-346.pdf
Publication In
Volume 2 | Issue 3: May-Jun 2021
ISSN: 2708-7972
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (International) Licence.(CC BY-NC 4.0).
