Lactose-containing glycopolymer grafted onto magnetic titanium dioxide nanomaterials for targeted capture and photocatalytic killing of pathogenic bacteria

Abstract

Abstract The superior photocatalysis of titanium dioxide (TiO2) had received much attention, but the effect of its separation and agglomeration on the water disinfection performance should not be ignored. Herein, lactose-containing glycopolymers grafted onto magnetic TiO2 nanomaterials were prepared through copper (0) mediated controlled radical polymerization and “grafting to” strategy to improve their separation and dispersibility properties. The physicochemical properties of the Fe3O4@TiO2/glycopolymers were systematically characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic light scattering, transition electron microscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer. The result of the survival bacterial ratio under ultraviolet exhibited the well photocatalytic antibacterial activity of Fe3O4@TiO2/glycopolymers towards E. coli, which retained the photocatalytic sterilization performance of TiO2. Among them, Fe3O4@TiO2@poly(LacA) showed an excellent ability to identify and trap E. coli because of the carbohydrate-protein recognition effect. The endocytosis of E. coli on Fe3O4@TiO2@poly(LacA) was further confirmed by the image of transition electron microscopy. Considering the magnetic characteristics of Fe3O4@TiO2/glycopolymers, it is speculated that these antibacterial agents can be easily recovered by the external magnetic field, and thus be a promising candidate for photocatalysis water disinfection.