Electron Beam-Irradiated g-C3N4/Ti3C2 Nanocomposite Embedded in PVA/SA Hydrogel: An Integrated Platform with Enhanced Photocatalytic Antibacterial Activity

Photodynamic antibacterial therapy presents a promising strategy for combating bacterial infections due to its non-invasive nature and low potential for inducing resistance. In this work, we developed a series of electron beam-modified graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄, CN) and titanium carbide (Ti₃C₂, TC) nanocomposites, which were subsequently incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogels through physical cross-linking. The optimized 200CN/1TC composite hydrogel (where 200CN denotes 200 kGy irradiation dose, and 1TC represents 1 wt% TC content) maintained excellent biocompatibility with cell viability exceeding 80% even at the highest nanomaterial loading (8% 200CN/1TC). Notably, the 8% 200CN/1TC composite hydrogel displayed substantial antibacterial activity, forming inhibition zones of 12.3 mm and 10.8 mm against <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and <i>Escherichia coli</i>, respectively. The improved performance may be explained by the combined effects of enhanced electron transfer between the component materials and the unique two-dimensional structure of the nanocomposites, though further investigation is required to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a feasible approach for developing efficient antibacterial hydrogel systems and offers valuable perspectives on the design of nanomaterial-based biomedical materials for wound healing and infection control applications.