Room temperature synthesis of crystalline anatase TiO2 on bamboo timber surface and their short-term antifungal capability under natural weather conditions

Abstract

A facile room temperature route was developed for growing crystalline anatase TiO2 on the bamboo timber surface by a unique hydrolysis of titanium complexes in the presence of H3BO3. The effect of aging time on TiO2 crystallinity on the bamboo timber surface was studied. The crystal phase, microstructure, and chemical composition of the anatase TiO2 formed on the bamboo timber surfaces were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). XRD characterization on the samples showed that, for crystallization occurred at room temperature, the longer the aging time, the greater the crystallinity. The TiO2-coated bamboo samples look identical to the pristine samples as there is no essential effect on the optical properties of the bamboo timber surface. Moreover, the antifungal activity of TiO2 photo-catalytic reaction against mould fungi was investigated for bamboo timber under natural weather conditions during periods of 16 weeks. Results show that compared with the pristine bamboo timber, the anatase TiO2-coated bamboo timber presented more superior antifungal capability under natural weather conditions in Hangzhou, China.