Ag-silica composite nanotube with controlled wall structures for biomedical applications

•Ag-silica composite nanotubes with controlled wall structures, from dense to ‘lace-like’.•Ag doping weakens silica network integrity dramatically.•‘Lace-like’ nanotube wall structure is induced by the Ag particles reduced from AgOSi bondings in the nanotubes.•The ‘lace-like’ wall structure induces the enhanced antibacterial property.

A range of Ag-silica composite nanotubes with tailored wall structures were successfully synthesized in situ by single-nozzle electrospinning. By increasing AgNO3 concentration, the wall structure of Ag-silica tubes changes from dense to porous, and eventually turns into a ‘lace-like’ structure. This is attributed to Ag ions doping into the SiOSi network of precursors, as illustrated in FTIR study. More importantly, Ag-silica composite nanotubes show robust antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli microorganisms. Therefore, it is a breakthrough of the nanostructure biomaterial research for future medical applications that require strong antibacterial properties.

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