Mesoporous Ag/ZnO hybrid cages derived from ZIF-8 for enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities

Ag/ZnO hybrid cages with well-preserved polyhedron shape and rich mesoporous structures were prepared thorough in situ pyrolysis of AgNO3 impregnated ZIF-8 precursor. Due to the bi-template function of ZIF-8, the asprepared cages show well-defined hollow chamber inherited from the precursor and uniformly embedded Ag nanoparticles (NPs). The as-introduced Ag NPs could enhance the light absorption and promote charge separation, which finally improve the antibacterial performances. Therefore, compared with pure ZnO, the Ag/ZnO hybrid cages demonstrate prominent photocatalytic degradation of different organic dyes, such as Methylene Blue, Methylene Orange, Eosin and Rhodamine B under simulated sunlight. In addition, the hybrid Ag/ZnO cages exhibit outstanding inhibition performances against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and the highly infective Mycobacterium-tuberculosis. The photocatalytic and antibacterial mechanism of the hybrid Ag/ZnO cages were also studied in detail by means of optical/electrochemical dynamic tests and Ag+ and Zn2+ release measurements.

Automated summary

The Ag/ZnO hybrid cages, prepared through in situ pyrolysis with well-preserved polyhedron shape and rich mesoporous structures, exhibit enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial performances by improving light absorption and promoting charge separation. The cages demonstrate significant degradation of various organic dyes and inhibition against bacteria, with detailed mechanism studies conducted through optical/electrochemical dynamic tests and Ag+ and Zn2+ release measurements.