The photocatalytic efficiency of the metal doped TiO2 with ceramic foam as catalyst carriers

The metal doped TiO2 was prepared with Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Ag(I), La (III), Nd(III), Ho(III), and Y(III) as doped catalysts. These catalysts were carried by ceramic foams to enhance their photocatalytic efficiency, which was later studied with methylene blue (MB) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) as targets. The results suggested that the photocatalytic activities of TiO2 were enhanced when ceramic foams were used as catalyst carriers and that the photocatalytic efficiency could also be significantly increased by the dopants, especially by Ag(I) and rare earth. In the bactericidal activity testing, the inhibitory effect of TiO2 on E. coli was enhanced significantly when ceramic foams were used as carriers. Ag(I) doped TiO2 showed the greatest inhibition on E. coli. As to the E. coli cells treated by Ag(I) doped TiO2, the observation with a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM) suggested that the cells could no longer maintain their morphology and the spheroplasts were formed after the treatment.

Graphical AbstractSEM image of the E. coli after 1 h of illumination with Ag(I) doped TiO2 with ceramic foam (B). The cells were almost completely deformed: the normal cells were rod-shaped while cells treated by doped TiO2 under UV light irradiation become elliptical.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide