Radiation construction and excellent performances of Ag NPs/TiO2/PEG/PVP multifunctional aerogel: Adsorption-photocatalytic degradation, photosensitive antibacterial and cytotoxicity

A cutting-edge method known as photocatalytic antibacterial technology can effectively eliminate drug-resistant bacterial strains and boast a wide-ranging antimicrobial capability. In the study, a novel Ag/TiO2/PEG/PVP (ATPP) aerogel photocatalyst was synthesized by an electron beam in-situ radiation method using polyethylene glycol (PEG), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), AgNO3, and TiO2 as raw materials. ATPP was characterized by X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and solid ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV–vis DRS). The results demonstrated that silver ions were reduced to silver nanoparticles by electron beam radiation method. At the same time, the doping of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) enhanced visible-light adsorption. The degradation rate of methylene blue (MB) on 5 % (in mass) ATPP could reach 81 % under visible light for 180 min. Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were used as model bacteria to explore the antimicrobial properties of ATPP by zone of the inhibition method, plate counting method and live/dead bacterial staining. Cyclic antibacterial experiments showed that the antibacterial effect of ATPP was sustainable. Meanwhile, MTT assay and Hoechst33342/PI double staining were used to prove that the composite had good biocompatibility. The aerogel photocatalytic material has the potential to decrease microbial presence in both medical and environmental settings, making it a valuable tool for such applications.