Composite g-C N @ZnO NP electrostatic self-assembly: enhanced ROS as a key factor for high-efficiency control of tobacco wildfire disease.

Background: The utilization of non-metallic inorganic nanomaterials for antimicrobial photocatalytic technology has emerged as a promising approach to combat drug-resistant bacteria. Recently, g-C N nanosheets have attracted significant attention due to their exceptional stability, degradability, low cost, and remarkable antibacterial properties. In this study, a facile electrostatic self-assembly approach was utilized to functionalize ZnO nanoparticles with g-C N nanosheets, resulting in the formation of g-C N @ZnO nanoparticle composites.

Results: The Z-shaped heterojunction architecture of these composites facilitates efficient separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs and enhances visible light catalytic performance. Moreover, the formation of the g-C N @ZnO heterostructure showed a higher photocatalytic capacity and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) than g-C N nanosheets. The photocatalytic antibacterial mechanisms of g-C N @ZnO at the transcriptomic level primarily involve disrupting bacterial membrane synthesis and inhibiting motility and energy metabolism. Therefore, the antibacterial mechanism of g-C N @ZnO can be attributed to a combination of physical membrane damage, chemical damage (ROS enhancement) and inhibition of chemotaxis, biofilm formation and flagellar motility.

Conclusion: These findings collectively provide novel high potential and insights into the practical application of photocatalysts in plant disease management. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.