Ultrasonic fabrication of TiO2/chitosan hybrid nanoporous microspheres with antimicrobial properties

Abstract

We report a sonochemical method for the fabrication of stable TiO₂–chitosan hybrid microspheres possessing nanoporous structure and antimicrobial properties. The microspheres were characterized by evaluating their size, surface morphology, and ultrasound-triggered release of encapsulated materials. The size range of the microspheres was found to be in the range 2–20 μm. The antimicrobial activity of TiO₂/chitosan microspheres was also evaluated. A possible mechanism for the formation of TiO₂-encapsulated chitosan microspheres has been proposed. The methodology demonstrated here can be extended to fabricating nanoparticle or liquid delivery vectors and density controlled catalysts for applications in catalytic and biomedical areas.