<p>Polyurethane acrylate (PUA)–Ag/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposites were synthesized through in situ polymerization. The well-dispersed Ag/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanorods serve as photoinitiator. Meanwhile, the PUA–Ag/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposite films exhibit superior activity toward the photocatalytic degradation of <i>Escherichia coli</i> under UV light. The excellent UV curing and antibacterial activities can be ascribed to the synergistic effect of Ag and TiO<sub>2</sub>, which promotes the effective electron/hole separation and thus generates various reactive species. Thin films with these nanoparticles are more hydrophilic after UV illumination. And the antibacterial mechanism of the UV-curable PUA–Ag/TiO<sub>2</sub> nanocomposites was proposed.</p
