TiO₂/Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ nanocomposite as efficient antimicrobials for inactivation of crop pathogens in agriculture

TiO₂/Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ nanocomposite were synthesized via a simple in-situ precipitation process, which was applied as efficient antimicrobials for the inactivation of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Fusarium graminearum (F. graminearum) under simulated solar light. With optimum Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ amount of 1.8 mol%, the TiO₂/Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ nanocomposite presented the highest antimicrobial activities against E. coli and F. graminearum, and achieved complete inactivation in 80 min, which was far better than that of bare TiO₂. The boosted photocatalytic disinfection efficiency was ascribed to the increased light harvesting and efficient charge transfer and separation in the TiO₂/Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ nanocomposite, which resulted in more efficient generation of •OH and •O₂^- that played important role in the photocatalytic inactivation process. Our work revealed that TiO₂/Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃ composite was a promising antimicrobial agent for prevention of pathogenic fungal or bacterial infections in crop protection.