TiO₂ loaded on glycidol functionalized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nanobiocomposite film for...

The rapid acceleration of industrialization and urbanization has exacerbated water pollution, which is primarily caused by the presence of highly toxic, non-biodegradable contaminants in industrial waste and effluents. In response to this urgent issue, a novel nanobiocomposite film with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) loaded onto a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-18 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate) (18PHBH) matrix was developed to serve as an effective dual-function material with photocatalytic and antibacterial properties. Through Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR), Diffuse reflectance ultraviolet-visible (DRUV-Vis), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses, the physicochemical properties of the TiO₂/Gly/18PHBH nanobiocomposite film were exhaustively characterized, revealing effective TiO₂ loading and uniform distribution on the film's surface. The film exhibited extraordinary photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye, with the 5TiO₂/Gly/18PHBH film demonstrating the greatest efficiency. In addition, antibacterial testing revealed that the film was effective against 99.8 % of Staphylococcus aureus and 96.9 % of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. These results demonstrate the potential of polyhydroxyalkanoate-based films as exceptional nanoparticle matrices and position the 5TiO₂/Gly/18PHBH film as a versatile candidate for applications in photocatalysis and antibacterial interventions, providing innovative solutions to critical environmental challenges.