Gram-scale synthesis of splat-shaped Ag-TiO₂ nanocomposites for enhanced antimicrobial properties

The control over contagious diseases caused by pathogenic organisms has become a serious health issue. The extensive usage of antibiotics has led to the development of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. In this regard, metal-oxide-based antibacterial nanomaterials have received potential research interest due to the efficient prevention of microorganism growth. In this study, splat-shaped Ag-TiO₂ nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized on the gram scale and the enhanced antibacterial properties of TiO₂ in the presence of silver were examined. The formation of Ag-TiO₂ NCs was analyzed through various characterization techniques. The cell viability experimental results demonstrated that the Ag-TiO₂ NCs have good biocompatibility. The antibacterial activity of the prepared Ag-TiO₂ NCs was tested against the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacterial strains. The Ag-TiO₂ NCs exhibited promising and superior antibacterial properties compared to TiO₂ nanospheres as confirmed by the bacterial growth and inhibition zone. The improvement in the antibacterial activity was attributed to the synergistic effect of the hybrid nature of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the presence of Ag.