Fabrication of ZnAgInS@MIL-125-NH2 S-scheme heterojunction for synergistic photocatalytic bactericidal eradication via ROS-induced apoptosis

Titanium-based metal organic frameworks (Ti-MOFs) present exceptional potential in photocatalytic disinfection. However, challenges persist in the development of high-performance Ti-MOF-based photocatalytic antibacterial nanomaterials by superior heterostructure construction and rational hybridization. Herein, we fabricated a binary S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst ZnAgInS@MIL-125-NH2 (ZAIS@MIL-125-NH2) for eradicating deleterious bacteria via a coordination-assisted self-assembly method. The integration of ZAIS enabled the composite photocatalyst to retain high oxidation and reduction potential and enhanced photogenerated carrier separation efficiency, accelerating the formation of singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical (center dot O2- ), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The synthesized ZAIS@MIL-125-NH2 demonstrated exceptional bactericidal rates against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, reaching 100 % and 97.17 % in 1 h, respectively. The underlying mechanism analysis revealed that bacterial disinfection was principally attributed to reactive oxygen species-induced membrane damage, protein leakage, and disruption of reductive defenses. The proposed quaternary quantum dot-enhanced MOF-based photocatalyst holds considerable potential applications for eradicating pathogenic bacteria.