Review of Antimicrobial Properties of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

There is a growing interest in the utilization of metal oxide nanoparticles as antimicrobial agents. This review will focus on titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs), which have been demonstrated to exhibit high antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi, chemical stability, low toxicity to eukaryotic cells, and therefore high biocompatibility. Despite the extensive research conducted in this field, there is currently no consensus on how to enhance the antimicrobial efficacy of TiO₂ NPs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the influence of various factors, including particle size, shape, composition, and synthesis parameters, as well as microbial type, on the antibacterial activity of TiO₂ NPs against bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, the review offers a comprehensive overview of the methodologies employed in the synthesis and characterization of TiO₂ NPs. The antimicrobial activity of TiO₂ exhibits a weak dependence on the microorganism species. A tendency towards increased antibacterial activity is observed with decreasing TiO₂ NP size. The dependence on the shape and composition is more pronounced. The most pronounced antimicrobial potential is exhibited by amorphous NPs and NPs doped with inorganic compounds. This review may be of interest to specialists in biology, medicine, chemistry, and other related fields.