Electron Beam-Irradiated g-C3N4/Ti3C2 Nanocomposite Embedded in PVA/SA Hydrogel: An Integrated Platform with Enhanced Photocatalytic Antibacterial Activity

Photodynamic antibacterial therapy presents a promising strategy for combating bacterial infections due to its non-invasive nature and low potential for inducing resistance. In this work, we developed a series of electron beam-modified graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, CN) and titanium carbide (Ti3C2, TC) nanocomposites, which were subsequently incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol/sodium alginate (PVA/SA) hydrogels through physical cross-linking. The optimized 200CN/1TC composite hydrogel (where 200CN denotes 200 kGy irradiation dose, and 1TC represents 1 wt% TC content) maintained excellent biocompatibility with cell viability exceeding 80% even at the highest nanomaterial loading (8% 200CN/1TC). Notably, the 8% 200CN/1TC composite hydrogel displayed substantial antibacterial activity, forming inhibition zones of 12.3 mm and 10.8 mm against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. The improved performance may be explained by the combined effects of enhanced electron transfer between the component materials and the unique two-dimensional structure of the nanocomposites, though further investigation is required to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms. This study provides a feasible approach for developing efficient antibacterial hydrogel systems and offers valuable perspectives on the design of nanomaterial-based biomedical materials for wound healing and infection control applications.