20.500.12556/RUL-182835 Surface-engineered Ag/TiO$_2$/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposites on cotton textiles for multifunctional photocatalytic, UV shielding, and antibacterial performance Ternary noble metal/semiconductor heterostructures are emerging as versatile platforms for multifunctional materials, but their integration into textiles remains limited. In this study, ultrasound-assisted sol–gel synthesis of Ag/TiO$_2$/graphitic carbon nitride (gCN) nanocomposites directly on cotton fabric was developed. Two synthesis routes, i.e. in situ and ex situ were carried out at 20 °C and 70 °C to simultaneously achieve photocatalytic, UV protection, and antimicrobial properties. In situ synthesis at 70 °C resulted in the highest loading of TiO$_2$ and Ag nanoparticles (NPs), leading to superior multifunctional performance. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and photostability of the nanocomposite under solar light irradiation were attributed to a Type-II heterojunction between TiO$_2$ and gCN, the Schottky barrier formation at the Ag/TiO$_2$ interface, and the localised surface plasmon resonance of the Ag NPs. The synergistic effect of gCN and Ag NPs on UV-A absorption combined with TiO$_2$-mediated UV-B shielding resulted in a UV protection factor of 90. The dual effect of Ag$^+$ and Ag$^0$ species provided complete bacterial inactivation of S. aureus and E. coli. The level of Ag NPs remained below the cytotoxic threshold, ensuring excellent cytocompatibility. These results establish Ag/TiO$_2$/gCN nanocomposite-functionalised cotton as a promising candidate for advanced biomedical and technical textile applications. textile multifunctional properties nanocomposites g-C$_3$N$_4$ titanium dioxide silver tekstilije večfunkcionalnost nanokompoziti g-C$_3$N$_4$ titanov dioksid srebro true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-05-25 12:35:10 2026-05-25 12:35:12 2026-05-26 04:35:53 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 23 str. art. 165446 Vol. 721 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 677 0169-4332 10.1016/j.apsusc.2025.165446 260439043 1-s2.0-S0169433225031630-main.pdf 1-s2.0-S0169433225031630-main.pdf 1 6F5E58CAFEAF1C59018FC791F0BF84B7 f69b00299b4e79870263362d46a48939bee05f452ae0ccd7f4ed9528ad24ee15 6e5cf876-5825-11f1-b0ab-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=234415 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169433225031630 1 1499152d-5825-11f1-b0ab-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=234414 Naravoslovnotehniška fakulteta Fakulteta za kemijo in kemijsko tehnologijo 0 0 0