Antibacterial and photocatalytic degradation properties of TiO2-based composite

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.