Role of silver nanoparticles in imparting antimicrobial activity of titanium dioxide

In the present work, facile syntheses for titanium dioxide (TiO2), Silver (Ag), and Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles were applied through sol-gel technique. Structural and morphological characterizations were followed by UV, TEM, and SAED. The cup agar diffusion method was followed to investigate the bactericidal activities against three common bacterial strains being Escherichia coli (Gram-negative), Bacillus subtitles and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive). The bactericidal activities were evidenced by the inhibition zones of the bacterial growth around the resultant substrates. The results prove promising bactericidal activity of Ag and Ag/TiO2 nanophases compared to TiO2 anatase phase nanoparticles possessing no bactericidal activity. The combined presence of silver nanoparticles along with the anatase phase induced a promising bactericidal activity. Effect of Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles on E. coli, B. subtilus and St. aureus bacteria. [Display omitted] •Simple procedure for TiO2, Ag, and Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles synthesis through sol-gel technique.•Presence of silver nanoparticles along with the anatase phase induced a promising bactericidal activity.•Ag/TiO2 nanoparticles demonstrated a high potential for improved antimicrobial activity.