Virus inactivation by silver doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles for drinking water treatment

Photocatalytic inactivation of viruses and other microorganisms is a promising technology that has been increasingly utilized in recent years. In this study, photocatalytic silver doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles (nAg/TiO2) were investigated for their capability of inactivating Bacteriophage MS2 in aqueous media. Nano-sized Ag deposits were formed on two commercial TiO2 nanopowders using a photochemical reduction method. The MS2 inactivation kinetics of nAg/TiO2 was compared to the base TiO2 material and silver ions leached from the catalyst. The inactivation rate of MS2 was enhanced by more than 5 fold depending on the base TiO2 material, and the inactivation efficiency increased with increasing silver content. The increased production of hydroxyl free radicals was found to be responsible for the enhanced viral inactivation.