Antibacterial and photocatalytic degradation properties of TiO₂-based composite

ABSTRACT

Transition metal doping titanium dioxide composites (TiO₂/Cu, TiO₂/Ag and TiO₂/Au) were prepared readily from tetrabutyl titanate and transition metal salt by solvothermal method. The as-obtained samples were characterised by means of X-ray diffraction, fluorescence spectrometry and so on. The inhibition of faecal coliform and photocatalytic degradation properties were investigated. The results showed that the TiO₂/Cu, TiO₂/Ag and TiO₂/Au possessed good antibacterial properties. Particularly, TiO₂/Ag possessed the best inhibition rate on Escherichia coli which was above 99.9%. In addition, the as-fabricated samples also exhibited perfect photocatalytic degradation performance towards organic pollutants in wastewater under the simulated sunlight or actual solar. The photocatalytic degradation rates of methyl orange were up to 65.13%, 90.93%, 94.65% and 81.57%, respectively, by using TiO₂, TiO₂/Cu, TiO₂/Ag and TiO₂/Au as photocatalysts. Further, TiO₂ composites as photocatalyst could be widely used in sewage disposal and photocatalytic degradation of automobile exhaust on the road. Especially, the antibacterial properties of TiO₂ and its composites could be used as antibacterial material.

KEYWORDS:

• TiO₂
• photocatalytic performance
• antibacterial property
• faecal coliforms

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was financially supported by the Project of Youth Backbone Teachers of Henan Province [Grant No. 2017GGJS172], Henan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant Nos. 182102311053 and 192102310492] and the key science and technology innovation demonstration projects of Henan Province [Grant No. 191110110600 and 17702]. As-added funding information is Key scientific research projects of colleges and universities in Henan Province[Grant No. 21B150012],