Aloe vera-derived Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles immobilized by chitosan films for photo(electro)catalytic and antimicrobial functions

In this study, as an environmentally friendly and sustainable approach, TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) were prepared by green synthesis method using deep eutectic solvent (DES, ChCl/glycerol (1:2)) based Aloe vera leaves extract obtained by Soxhlet extraction. The DES system functioned concurrently as a green solvent and a functional medium, while the bioactive chemicals in the Aloe vera leaves extract operated as natural reducing and stabilizing agents. The produced TiO2 NPs were doped with silver (Ag) at molar ratios of 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75, and immobilized on a chitosan matrix (Ag/TiO2-CS) to facilitate recovery from the reaction media. The materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X ray analysis (SEM-EDX) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Characterization validated the TiO2 phase, effective Ag incorporation, diminished band gap energy (from 3.34 eV to 2.83 eV), and uniform nanoparticle distribution. PL measurements confirmed that Ag doping reduces carrier charge recombination. The 0.50Ag/ TiO2-CS film displayed the best photocatalytic degradation efficiency for malachite green (93.3 %) under solar irradiation and exhibited a higher photocurrent response relative to undoped TiO2. Moreover, antimicrobial assays demonstrated that 0.50 and 0.75 Ag/TiO2 NPs exhibited significant suppression of S. aureus and E. coli, with low minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) (0.40–0.20 µg/mL) and minimum bactericidal concentra tions (MBC), signifying robust bactericidal efficacy. The findings indicate that DES-assisted Aloe vera-mediated synthesis provides an economical and scalable method for producing multifunctional nanocomposites with considerable potential in environmental remediation and biomedical fields.