Ce and Er Co-doped TiO₂ for rapid bacteria- killing using visible light

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photocatalysis

Background:

• Bacterial infections pose significant global health risks.
• Photocatalytic disinfection offers a promising, cost-effective solution.
• Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely studied photocatalyst, but its efficiency under visible light is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the visible-light photocatalytic disinfection properties of TiO2 nanoparticles.
• To investigate the effect of co-doping TiO2 with cerium (Ce) and erbium (Er) on its antibacterial activity.
• To determine the optimal doping concentrations for Ce and Er in TiO2 for maximum disinfection efficiency.

Main Methods:

• Sol-gel method used for co-doping TiO2 nanoparticles with Ce and Er.
• Characterization of modified TiO2 nanoparticles (specifics not detailed in abstract).
• Evaluation of photocatalytic antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under visible light.

Main Results:

• Co-doping TiO2 with Ce and Er significantly enhanced visible-light photocatalytic performance compared to undoped TiO2.
• Optimal doping concentrations were found to be 0.5 mol% Er and 0.2 mol% Ce for the 0.5Ce0.2Ti-O sample calcined at 800°C.
• The optimized material achieved high antibacterial efficiencies of 91.23% for Staphylococcus aureus and 92.8% for Escherichia coli.
• Erbium (Er) doping facilitated the conversion of near-infrared radiation to visible light, while cerium (Ce) doping broadened the spectral response and reduced electron-hole recombination.

Conclusions:

• Co-doping TiO2 nanoparticles with Ce and Er is an effective strategy to improve visible-light photocatalytic disinfection.
• The synergistic effects of Ce and Er enhance antibacterial efficacy by improving light absorption and charge carrier dynamics.
• This approach holds potential for developing advanced antibacterial materials for various applications.