Strongly-coupled silver chloride–tungsten oxide hybrid nanocomposite with excellent antibacterial effect

A novel hybrid nanocomposite composed of AgCl nanoparticles and W 18 O 49 nanorods was fabricated through a facile, clean, efficient deposition route. The AgCl–W 18 O 49 nanocomposite has been found to exhibit excellent antibacterial activity, which may arise from the high-density loading of the AgCl nanoparticles on the W 18 O 49 nanorods and the strongly-coupled interaction between the two components. Under light irradiation, partially photoreduction of the AgCl nanoparticles could convert the AgCl–W 18 O 49 nanocomposite to the plasmonic Ag–AgCl–W 18 O 49 nanophotocatalyst with enhanced antibacterial activity. The AgCl–W 18 O 49 nanocomposite is promising candidate for potential application in the field of marine antifouling coatings.