Photodynamic and antibacterial studies of template-assisted Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ nanocomposites

Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ (FT) nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by template-assisted precipitation reaction using Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Polyethylene glycol (PVP-PEG), Tween-80 (T-80) and Cetyltrimethylammomium bromide (CTAB) as templates. The prepared nanocomposites were characterized by XRD, SEM, EDX, UV-DRS, FT-IR, and FT-Raman spectroscopic analysis. The photohemolysis studies were done in human erythrocytes and the cell viability studies were done in HeLa cell lines under the irradiation of an LED light source. The photodynamic studies were performed under two different experimental conditions, such as varying concentrations as well as a time of irradiation. The nanocomposites exhibit significant photodynamic activity via the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) under the light source. The results show that the PVP-PEG-assisted Fe₂O₃-TiO₂ (FT-PVP-PEG) nanocomposite has more potential for photodynamic activity in the presence of an LED light source. Also, the antibacterial effect of the samples was investigated against gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). Among all nanocomposites, FT-PVP-PEG shows remarkable antibacterial activity against E. coli. Moreover, the template-assisted nanocomposites protect the biomolecules from the toxicity generated by the magnetic nanoparticles (NPs). The template-assisted FT nanocomposites for the field of photodynamic activity have been experimentally shown for the first time.