Journal
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
Volume 296, Issue -, Pages 15-23Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.01.006
Keywords
Cu-TiO2; Visible light; Mechanism, Humidity effects; Disinfection capacity
Categories
Funding
- National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF)
- Ministry of Education [2013R1A2A2A03013138]
- National Research Foundation of Korea [22A20130011030, 2013R1A2A2A03013138] Funding Source: Korea Institute of Science & Technology Information (KISTI), National Science & Technology Information Service (NTIS)
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This study investigated the role of Cu as a doping agent to enhance photocatalytic activity of TiO2 in Cu-doped TiO2/glass fibers (Cu-TiO2/GF) used for disinfection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) in aerosols under visible light irradiation. Glass fiber was used as a substrate to immobilize TiO2 for disinfection of E. coli in bioaerosols. Cu in the prepared photocatalyst acted as an intermediate agent for the transfer of photo-generated electrons from the valence band to the conduction band of TiO2. Cu dopants increased the electron-hole pair separation efficiency, inhibited their recombination leading to a lifetime increase of the generated electrons, and thus improved photocatalytic activity even under visible light irradiation. Cu also defected the TiO2 lattice by producing Ti3+ ions, which can increase the electron-hole separation capacity of the photocatalyst, thereby increasing photocatalytic capacity. The optimal Cu content in Cu/TiO2 to enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 was 5 wt.%. Among three humidity conditions (dry (40 +/- 5%), moderate (60 +/- 5%) and humid (80 +/- 5%)), the moderate condition showed the highest disinfection efficiency of E. coli. When the 5% Cu-TiO2/GF was used under a moderate level of humidity, the highest disinfection efficiency and disinfection capacity of E. coli were identified as 87.8% and 23 CFU/scm(2), respectively. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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