Copper-loaded mesoporous nitrogen-rich carbon nitride (xCu-mC3N6) was synthesized using a mesoporous silica SBA-15 hard template. While low-angle XRD data and transmission electron microscopic images confirm the periodic hexagonal porous texture of the synthesized material, the nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherms revealed high specific surface areas with an average pore diameter of ∼4.9 nm. CHN analysis established the formation of C3N6, and near-edge X-ray absorption Fine Structure (NEXAFS) measurements confirmed N─C═N in the C3N6 framework. The copper-based nanoparticles are anchored onto the CN framework within the mesochannels of C3N6. The inhibition zones revealed that Cu-mC3N6 exhibited a stronger antibacterial effect compared to mC3N6, and interestingly. Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) performs better than gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Further, the colony-counting method quantitatively confirmed the superior antibacterial performance of xCu-mC3N6, compared to mC3N6. Cu-mC3N6 also achieved an 87% increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in B. subtilis and 71% for E. coli-treated cells, implying ROS-mediated cell death in Cu-mC3N6, while mC3N6 exhibited a lower level of ROS owing to weak electrostatic interactions with bacteria, resulting in lower antibacterial effects. The present study provides insight into the synthesis of nitrogen-rich nanocomposites for disinfection.
Keywords: anti‐bacterial; carbon nitride; mesoporous; metal‐loaded.
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