Oxygen Vacancy-Rich Ag/Cuo Nanoarray Mesh Fabricated by Laser Ablation for Efficient Bacteria Inactivation

Abstract

The microbial contamination poses a serious threat to human health. Most materials reported for sterilization are in powder forms, which poses safety hazards and hinder recyclability. Herein, copper oxide supported silver monolithic nanoarray mesh with abundant oxygen vacancies (Ag/CuO-VO) were prepared by facile laser ablation. The synthesized Ag/CuO-VO achieves a 99.99% inactivation efficiency against Escherichia coli (E. Coli) within 20 mins. The presence of VO in Ag/CuO-VO facilitates electron transfer from Ag 3d orbitals and the Cu 2p orbitals towards the π 2py* orbital of O2, generating key reactive oxygen species (ROS). i.e., H2O2 and ·O2–. Furthermore, the nanoarray structure also results in physical damage of E. Coli. The synergistic antimicrobial actions disrupt the bacterial peptidoglycan and phospholipid components, damaging the cell membrane and leading to bacterial death. This study provides promising strategies for drinking water safety management in remote areas, and is also inspiring for the control of pathogenic microorganisms in other fields.

Keywords: Ag/CuO nanoarray, Oxygen vacancy, Laser ablation, Monolithic, Bacterial inactivation