Hybrid Cu 2 O/TiO 2 Nanocomposites with Enhanced Photocatalytic Antibacterial Activity toward Acinetobacter Baumannii .

The hybrid Cu 2 O-TiO 2 photocatalytic composite with a p-n heterojunction was synthesized by the supercritical solvothermal route. The uniformly distributed Cu 2 O was stably combined with TiO 2 to benefit the increase of the specific surface area, the harvesting of visible light, and the separation of photogenerated holes and electrons. As a result, photocatalytic inactivation of Acinetobacter baumannii under visible-light irradiation was facilitated. Based on the photogenerated holes acting as the main active species, the Cu 2 O-TiO 2 photocatalytic heterojunction could induce the leakage of K + ions and serious damage of the cell structure, leading to the final cell death. During the photoantibacterial process on Cu 2 O-TiO 2 , the RecA gene played a significant role in enhancing the survival rate of Acinetobacter baumannii . Furthermore, the great bactericidal effect of Cu 2 O-TiO 2 nanocomposites to different bacteria indicated the potential application for the environment-friendly disinfection.