Antibacterial performance of the PVDF membranes doped with Ag photodeposited TiO₂ particles

Photodeposition is a simple and green method with no chemical reagents carried out under ambient conditions. This study employed the photodeposition technique to synthesize Ag nanoparticle-decorated TiO₂ powders as a potential polymer additive. The photocatalytic material TiO₂ powder is blended into AgNO₃ solution while exposed to UV light, during which the Ag nanoparticles are reduced to the surface of the powder. This study evaluates the antibacterial properties of the powder and powder-added polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes. Membranes with various concentrations of TiO₂ and Ag-decorated TiO₂ powders were produced by the phase inversion method. Finally, the membrane samples’ structure, morphology, and thermal properties were investigated by SEM, FTIR, XRD, and TGA spectroscopy techniques. It has been observed that the proportions of additive materials slightly affected the porosity PVDF in the range of 64–80%. Also, the antibacterial activity tests of Ag-decorated TiO₂ powders and PVDF membranes showed complete elimination of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria with ISO 20645 and AATCC 100 standard methods.