Construction of S-Scheme Heterojunction MoS2/TiO2 and Investigation of the Photocatalytic Inhibition Performance

TiO2 possesses excellent photocatalytic antibacterial performance. Owing to its unique structural and physicochemical characteristics, TiO2 has been extensively applied in energy, environmental remediation, and biomedical fields. Herein, a hierarchical one-dimensional (1D) TiO2 architecture consisting of a well-distributed nanotube bottom layer whose surface nanowires interconnect into groove structures was fabricated on titanium foil via anodic oxidation, and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets were further grown in situ on the TiO2 surface to construct MoS2/TiO2 composite photocatalysts. The as-prepared composites exhibit superior hydrophilicity and prominent photocatalytic activity under full-spectrum simulated-solar irradiation, achieving a bactericidal efficiency of 86% against Staphylococcus aureus. Characterization results confirm that MoS2 nanoflower-like spheres are uniformly loaded on the surface of the 1D TiO2. An intimate S-scheme heterojunction is successfully fabricated between the two components, which significantly promotes the migration and separation of photogenerated charge carriers. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) tests demonstrate that superoxide radicals (·O2−) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) are the dominant active species responsible for the efficient antibacterial behavior. This work reveals the significant application potential of MoS2/TiO2 composite photocatalysts and provides a feasible theoretical basis for the practical development and application of high-efficiency photocatalytic antibacterial materials.