Photo reduced molybdenum oxide/polyacrylonitrile composite membrane for eco-friendly silver, copper ions reduction and release mechanisms

The development of hybrid composite antibacterial agents for wound dressing has garnered significant attention due to their remarkable antibacterial efficacy and their potential to mitigate microbial resistance. In this study, we present an approach to designing and fabricating wound dressing membranes utilizing MoO3/PAN hybrid composites through electrospinning. Subsequently, we enhanced the membrane's effectiveness by introducing silver (Ag-MoO3/PAN) and copper (Cu-MoO3/PAN) into the matrix via a rapid (within one minute) green synthesis method under UV irradiation. Initially, we discuss the morphological characteristics and structural attributes of the resulting membranes. Subsequent investigation explores the antibacterial mechanisms of MoO3, Ag+, and Cu+ revealing that the incorporation of silver and copper substantially enhanced antibacterial activity. Silver nanoparticles into the composite material significantly enhanced its antibacterial effectiveness, particularly against Escherichia coli, while copper nanoparticles exhibited an even more substantial inhibitory effect, approximately 28.12 % greater compared to silver nanoparticles, and 21.23 % greater than pristine molybdenum oxide nanofiber against Bacillus subtilis. Additionally, we elucidate the surface properties, noting that the introduction of silver increases the surface area of the composite membrane by 25.89 % while copper increases the surface area by 30.27 % compared to the pristine MoO3/PAN membrane. Furthermore, we observe a 15 %, and 33.75 % reduction in WCA for the Ag-MoO3/PAN membrane and Cu-MoO3/PAN membrane respectively, indicating improved hydrophilicity. Finally, we analyze the release behavior of the Ag+ and Cu+ from pristine nanofiber membranes. Our findings demonstrate an initial burst in silver release of about 70 % within the first 7 h, followed by a 33.52 % reduction and then a sustained release pattern over a period of 7 days, while for copper 41 % increased within the first 7 h, followed by gradually increased release pattern over a period of 7 days.