Necrosis of Staphylococcus aureus by the Electrospun Fe- and Ag-Doped TiO2 Nanofibers

Postsurgery infections cause prolonged hospitalization, incurring increased patient and hospital costs, making it increasingly vital to develop an effective solution for the mitigation and elimination of infection buildup at these sites. Incorporation of a bactericidal device at the infection-prone sites provides the capability of attacking bacterial growth even after the patient has left the hospital. Polycrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) is photoactive and possesses antibacterial properties that can mitigate the onset of these infections and aid in wound healing. In this work, TiO2 nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning. Doping with iron as well as with silver (5 wt% and 1 wt%, resp.) was also carried out to increase their effectiveness towards bactericidal properties. The electrospun fibers were processed and tested in the presence of light in the suspensions of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteria, which are the leading infection-inducing bacteria among hospital patients. It was found that upon brief activation (cf. 30 s) by an infrared laser source, greater than 90% of the S. aureus was rendered inactive within cf. 10 min. of exposure, thereby showing the potential of titania nanofibers for effective mitigation of infection.