Zwitterionic Polymer Grafted ZnO@TiC and Its Photocatalytic Synergistic Antibacterial Activity

Conventional antibacterial materials exhibit significant limitations, particularly in terms of efficacy and sustainability. As a green alternative, photocatalytic materials still suffer from inefficient visible-light harvesting and rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. To address these issues, we via a rational material design strategy developed a polymer-modified Ti3C2-based composite, ZnO@TiC-PSBMA. It was demonstrated that the incorporation of MPS-TiC not only extends visible-light absorption but also promotes efficient separation of charge carriers. Under visible light irradiation, the composite achieved near-complete eradication of high-concentration E. coli and S. aureus (107 CFU/mL) within 20 min. Importantly, MPS-TiC enhances the oxidation resistance of ZnO, thereby suppressing its photocorrosion and leading to improved overall stability of the composite. The composite also exhibited outstanding long-term antibacterial activity and recyclability, with minimum bactericidal concentrations as low as 150 μg/mL for E. coli and 100 μg/mL for S. aureus, indicating its favorable environmental safety profile at effective dosages, as evidenced by its low toxicity in soybean seed germination tests. Preliminary application studies confirm its promising potential for use in public health products aimed at controlling bacterial transmission.