Antibacterial Activity of Molybdenum Oxide-Polyacrylonitrile Composite Membrane with Fast Silver Ion Reduction

The development of hybrid composite antibacterial agents for wound dressing has garnered significant attention due to their remarkable antibacterial efficacy and their potential to mitigate microbial resistance. In this study, we present an approach to designing and fabricating wound dressing membranes, utilizing molybdenum oxide-polyacrylonitrile (MoO₃/PAN) hybrid composites through electrospinning. Subsequently, we enhanced the membrane's effectiveness by introducing silver (Ag@MoO₃/PAN) into the matrix via a rapid (within one min) green synthesis method under UV irradiation. Initially, we discuss the morphological characteristics and structural attributes of the resulting membranes. Subsequent investigations explore the antibacterial mechanisms of both MoO₃ and Ag⁺, revealing that the incorporation of silver substantially enhanced antibacterial activity. Additionally, we elucidate the surface properties, noting that the introduction of silver increases the surface area of the composite membrane by 25.89% compared with the pristine MoO₃/PAN membrane. Furthermore, we observe a 9% reduction in the water contact angle (WCA) for the Ag@MoO₃/PAN membrane, indicating improved hydrophilicity. Finally, we analyze the release behavior of the Ag@MoO₃/PAN membrane. Our findings demonstrate an initial burst release within the first 7 h, followed by a controlled and sustained release pattern over a period of 7 days.