Developments in photocatalytic antibacterial activity of nano TiO2: A review

TiO2, which is one of the most explored materials, has emerged as an excellent photocatalyst material for environmental and energy fields, including air and water purification, self-cleaning surfaces, antibacterial and water splitting. This review summarizes recent research developments of TiO2-based photocatalyst used for photocatalytic antibacterial applications. Several strategies to enhance the efficiency of TiO2 photocatalyst are discussed, including doping with metal ions, noble metals, non-metals, and coupling with other materials. The mechanism of photocatalytic antibacterial activity in the presence of nano-sized TiO2 is also discussed. The modified TiO2 photocatalyst significantly inhibits the growth of bacterial cells in response to visible light illumination. TiO2 photocatalysis appears to be promising as a route of advanced oxidation process for environmental remediation.