Mechanistic study of the visible-light-driven photocatalytic inactivation of bacteria by graphene oxide-zinc oxide composite

- The GO-ZnO composites exhibited efficient VLD bacterial inactivation performance.
- Strong interfacial interaction existed between GO and ZnO.
- GO served as a photosensitizer in the inactivation process.
- Excellent antibacterial activity by GO-ZnO composite was shown under sunlight.
- An inactivation mechanism based on the GO photosensitizer induction was proposed.