Ce-MoS2/Ag3PO4 nanocomposites with peroxidase-like activity as photoinduced antibacterial agents

Bacterial contamination has bloomed into a vitality-threatening problem that plagues people. In this work, a fast and remarkable bactericidal material is developed from cerium-doped molybdenum disulfide (Ce-MoS 2 ) and silver phosphate (Ag 3 PO 4 ). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Ce-MoS 2 /Ag 3 PO 4 nanocomposites against S. aureus was 1.12 mg mL −1 , and the antibacterial rate reached to 95.3%, in comparison with 35% of pure MoS 2 . The excellent antibacterial activities of Ce-MoS 2 /Ag 3 PO 4 could be attributed to the doping of Ce and the generation of heterojunction assisted by Ce 3+ /Ce 4+ redox mediators between MoS 2 and Ag 3 PO 4 which boost the separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs and the formation of hydroxyl radical (·OH), superoxide anion (·O 2 − ). Furthermore, TMB colorimetric assay showed that the Ce-MoS 2 /Ag 3 PO 4 possesses enhanced POD-like catalytic activity, which could constantly catalyze the production of ·OH from H 2 O 2 to kill bacteria. The outcomes of the current study emphasize the importance of the Ce-MoS 2 /Ag 3 PO 4 as a novel antimicrobial material. Graphical abstract