Gold Nanoparticles Decorated Titanium Oxide Nanotubes with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity Driven by Photocatalytic Memory Effect

Titanium and its alloys have been widely used for orthopedic and dental implants. However, implant failures often occur due to the implant-related bacterial infections. Herein, titanium oxide nanotubes (TNTs) with an average diameter of 75 nm were formed by anodizing on the surface of titanium, and subsequently gold (Au) nanoparticles were deposited on TNTs by magnetron sputtering (Au@TNTs). The antibacterial study shows that TNTs surface decorated with Au nanoparticles exhibits the preferable effect in restricting the growth of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) even under dark conditions, and the antibacterial rates reached 84% and 75%, respectively. In addition, the constructed film showed no cytotoxicity. Such a selective bactericidal effect of Au@TNTs samples might be attributed to the photocatalytic memory effect, which provides a new insight in the designing of antibacterial surfaces for biomedical application.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the construction of an antibacterial film by forming titanium oxide nanotubes and depositing gold nanoparticles on their surface. The film shows inhibitory effects on the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with no cytotoxicity. This finding is significant for the design of antibacterial surfaces in biomedical applications.