2D Titanium Carbide-based Nanocomposites for Photocatalytic Bacteriostatic Applications

Abstract In this study, for the first time, we report the design of titanium carbide (Ti3C2) – based nanocomposites to realize a highly efficient antibacterial effect. Stable reduced silver @ titanium carbide @ cuprous oxide (Ag@Ti3C2@Cu2O) nanocomposites with efficient antibacterial activities were synthesized via a simple wet chemical method at room temperature and developed as highly efficient photocatalytic bactericides for antifouling. The Ag@Ti3C2@Cu2O nanocomposites showed excellent antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The electron-hole recombination efficiency of the nanocomposites was analyzed by characterizing the photoluminescence spectra, which indicated that the charge transfer channel imparted by the heterostructure between the nanocomposites considerably improved charge transport and separation efficiency, prolonged the life of active electrons, and promoted the generation of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations and finite element method calculations indicated that the structure of nanocomposites reduces the difficulty of photoelectron escaping during photocatalysis and improves photocatalytic efficiency.