GO-AgCl/Ag nanocomposites with enhanced visible light-driven catalytic properties for antibacterial and biofilm-disrupting applications

Nanomaterials with visible light-driven photocatalytic activity have attracted much attention due to their excellent abilities in degradation of various organic pollutants as well as inactivating bacteria. Herein, graphene oxide (GO) enwrapped silver chloride/silver (AgCl/Ag) nanocomposites with high visible light absorption were designed and fabricated as efficient antibacterial agents. AgCl NPs were synthesized in the presence of GO first and Ag NPs were coated on AgCI surface by heat reduction to form GO-AgCl/Ag nanocomposites. The as prepared nanocomposites revealed improved stability, higher absorption properties in the visible light region. The enhanced antibacterial activity was observed by quantification of colony forming units (CFU) and morphological changes of bacteria. The antibacterial mechanism of GO-AgCl/Ag was also investigated by evaluating membrane permeability and ROS level. Moreover, GO-AgCl/Ag composites can eliminate bacterial biofilms more efficiently under visible light irradiation. Our results provide new insights into the design of new multifunctional systems for antibacterial applications. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.