Preparation and photocatalytic and antibacterial properties of polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan/TiO2@Ag electrospun nanofibers

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) is a widely used polymer in the electrospinning technique. It is water-soluble, which limits the application of electrospun PVA matrix. In this study, chitosan (CS) and biosynthesized TiO 2 @Ag nanoparticles were incorporated into PVA to enhance its antibacterial properties and photocatalysis. The PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofiber mat was prepared using the electrospinning method with a voltage of 20 kV, a needle-collector distance of 15 cm, and a flow rate of 0.5 mL. h − 1 . The concentrations of the PVA and CS solutions were 10% and 2%, respectively. The TiO 2 @Ag nanoparticles were synthesized using AgNO 3 solution, TiO 2 nanoparticles as precursors, and Cleistocalyx operculatus leaf extract as a reducing agent. The morphology and structure of the PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofiber mat were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofibers exhibited an average fibril diameter of 116.4 nm. Additionally, the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), as well as the photocatalytic properties of these mats, were assessed. The results indicated that the addition of CS and TiO 2 @Ag led to changes in the hydrophilic properties and antibacterial efficacy of PVA. The inhibition zones of the PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofiber mat against E. coli and S. aureus were measured at 5 and 4 mm, respectively. The water contact angle of PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofiber mat showed a significant increase. The PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofibers were able to degrade 94.56 ± 0.57% and 98.17 ± 0.11% of methylene blue dye under sunlight irradiation after 10 and 20 min of exposure, respectively. These findings suggest that the PVA/CS/TiO 2 @Ag nanofiber mat has the potential for applications in the textile industry or medicinal field as antibacterial and photocatalytic coatings.