Abstract
Cu-doped titanium dioxide thin films (Cu/TiO2) were prepared on glass substrate via peroxo sol-gel method and dip-coating process with no subsequent calcination process for the degradation of organic dye and use as an antibacterial agent. The as-prepared materials were characterised using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). For photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in water, the samples were subjected to Ultraviolet C (UVC) and visible light irradiation. Degraded methylene blue concentration was measured using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The antibacterial activities of the samples were tested against the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (ATCC25922). Copper species were present in the form of CuO on the surface of modified TiO2 particles, which was confirmed using TEM and XPS. The optimal observed Cu/TiO2 weight ratio of 0.5 represents the highest photocatalytic activities under both UVC and visible light irradiation. Moreover, the same composition remarkably exhibited high antibacterial effectiveness against E. coli after illumination with ultraviolet A. The presence of CuO on TiO2 significantly enhanced photocatalytic activities. Therefore, active Cu-doped TiO2 can be used as a multipurpose coating material.
Highlights
Photocatalysis has garnered plenty of attention from the scientific community in recent decades, resulting in various commercialized products having photocatalytic functions
The activity of TiO2 nanoparticles is due to the oxidative stress and/or the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radical (OH ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) under UV
Light irradiation; TiO2 is used as an antimicrobial agent
Summary
Photocatalysis has garnered plenty of attention from the scientific community in recent decades, resulting in various commercialized products having photocatalytic functions. Modified TiO2 has been deployed both environmentally and hygienically, including in the photocatalytic decomposition of organic pollutants [1,2,3,4,5], in self-cleaning materials [6,7,8,9], and as an antibacterial agent of photo-induced photocatalytic reactions [10,11,12,13]. The activity of TiO2 nanoparticles is due to the oxidative stress and/or the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including hydroxyl radical (OH ) and hydrogen peroxide (H2 O2 ) under UV light irradiation; TiO2 is used as an antimicrobial agent. The produced ROS can cause cell membrane damage, cell cycle cessation, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation in microorganisms via direct contact between cells and nanoparticles, thereby resulting in cell death [14,15,16]
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