A green electrolysis of silver-decorated MoS(2) nanocomposite with an enhanced antibacterial effect and low cytotoxicity

To tackle the devastating microbial infections for the public health, a continuous search for effective and safe nanobiocides based on their prominent nanoscale effects has been extensively explored during past decades. In this study, a green electrolysis method was employed to synthesize silver-doped molybdenum sulfide (Ag@MoS(2)) composite materials. The obtained nanocomposites exhibited a sheet-like structure with a large specific surface area, which contributed to the efficient loading and refined distribution of silver nanoparticles. G(−)E. coli and G(+)S. aureus were used as model bacteria for the antibacterial test, which revealed enhanced antibacterial activity of produced nanocomposites with an identified destructive effect on preformed biofilms. It was found that within 72 hour incubation, 20 μg mL(−1) Ag@MoS(2) was sufficient to inhibit the growth of E. coli and S. aureus without visible colony formation, pointing to a desirable long-term antibacterial activity. Further a mechanistic antibiosis study of Ag@MoS(2) indicated the involvement of a generation of reactive oxygen species. Notably, owing to the well-distributed silver nanoparticles on the nontoxic MoS(2) nanosheet, the cytotoxicity evaluation results revealed that produced nanocomposites exhibited negligible toxicity to mammalian cells, and thereby held promising potential for biomedical applications.