Incorporation of TiO2 and curcumin in polyacrylonitrile nanofibers for antibacterial applications

The polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/ TiO2 nanofiber and PAN/TiO2/curcumin nanofiber mat containing various concentrations of TiO2 and curcumin was fabricated using the electrospinning method and tested for its antibacterial performance. The PAN/TiO2 and PAN/TiO2/curcumin samples were characterized for structural and morphological analysis. The FT-IR analysis showed the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles incorporated into PAN nanofibers. The maximum antimicrobial inhibition zone against E. coli are 17 mm and 27 mm for optimized concentrations of PAN/TiO2 and PAN/TiO2/curcumin samples. This investigation revealed that adding curcumin and TiO2 NPs in the PAN nanofibers significantly enhances the antibacterial performance. The synergistic effect between curcumin and TiO2 NPs contributes to this enhanced antibacterial performance, making the nanofibers potential candidates. Hence, our study indicates that low-cost nanofiber-based materials would be excellent modifications real-life antibacterial applications.