Novel chitosan‐TiO₂ nanohybrid: Preparation, characterization, antibacterial, and photocatalytic properties

In this report, chitosan (CS) encapsulated titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) nanohybrid was prepared by chemical precipitation method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of nanohybrid. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis showed the immobilization of TiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of CS. The nanohybrid was also characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and zeta potential. The nanohybrid exhibited high photocatalytic activity as evident from the degradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The result revealed substantial degradation of the MB dye (90%) under UV‐light illumination. The catalytic efficiency was unaltered even after five cycles of reuse. In addition, the nanohybrid exhibited a superior antibacterial activity of 100% within 24 h of treatment against Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) was measured by colony forming units (CFU). POLYM. COMPOS., 35:327–333, 2014.