Photocatalytic Activity and Antibacterial Effect of Ag3PO4 Powders Against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Author(s)

Botelho, Gleice ^[1] ; de Foggi, Camila Cristina ^[2] ; Vergani, Carlos Eduardo ^[2] ; Pereira, Wyllamanney Silva ^[3] ; Junior, Ricardo Kaminishi dos Santos ^[1] ; Longo, Elson ^[3]

Affiliation

^[1] Fed Univ Tocantins, Dept Environm Chem, POB 66, BR-77402970 Gurupi, TO - Brazil

^[2] Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Dent Mat & Prosthodont, POB 355, BR-14801903 Araraquara, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, INCTMN UFSCar, POB 676, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: ORBITAL-THE ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY; v. 13, n. 3, p. 241-249, APR-JUN 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

In this study, silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) was successfully prepared through a simple precipitation method, and its structural, optical, and morphological properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Rietveld refinement, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, photoluminescence measurements, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Thereafter, the photocatalytic activity for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and the antibacterial effect against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were analyzed. Ag3PO4 was highly photocatalytic, degrading approximately 100% of the RhB after 25 min of visible light exposure. The photocatalytic mechanism was evaluated by trapping experiments indicating that photogenerated holes and superoxide radicals were the principal species present in the photocatalytic system. In addition, Ag3PO4 is a potential bacterial agent as it reduced the MRSA population even at sub-inhibitory concentrations. Morphological changes of the MRSA cells exposed to Ag3PO4 powder were investigated by the FE-SEM analysis, and a possible mechanism involving the release of dissolved Ag+, together with the production of reactive photocatalytic oxygen species is proposed based on the experimental results. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/12594-3 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials
• Grantee: Camila Cristina de Foggi
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 13/07296-2 - CDMF - Center for the Development of Functional Materials
• Grantee: Elson Longo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers - RIDC
• FAPESP's process: 15/11917-8 - Study of photoluminescent properties and photocatalytic of Ag4P2O7, Ag3-2xNixPO4 and Ag3-2xCuxPO4
• Grantee: Wyllamanney da Silva Sczancoski
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 16/23663-3 - Amino acids-stabilized pyrophosphates nanoparticles controlled by self-assembly
• Grantee: Wyllamanney da Silva Sczancoski
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate