Highly antibacterial activity of N-doped TiO2 thin films coated on stainless steel brackets under visible light irradiation

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 309; pp. 119 - 127
• Main Authors: Cao, Shuai, Liu, Bo, Fan, Lingying, Yue, Ziqi, Liu, Bin, Cao, Baocheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Candida albicans; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Exact sciences and technology; Lactobacillus acidophilus; Light irradiation; N-doped TiO2 thin film; Photocatalysis; Photocatalytic properties, Antibacterial; Physics; Radio frequencies; RF magnetron sputtering method; Stainless steel brackets; Stainless steels; Surface chemistry; Thin films; Titanium dioxide; RF magnetron sputtering method; N-doped TiO2 thin film; Stainless steel brackets; Photocatalytic properties, Antibacterial; Inorganic compounds; N-doped TiO; Transition element compounds; Stainless steels; Film growth; Thin films; Magnetrons; Cathode sputtering; Visible radiation; n type semiconductor; thin film; Titanium oxide
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.04.198

•TiO2 thin films were prepared on stainless steel substrates.•The thin film had high photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation.•TiO2 thin films showed highly antibacterial activity in visible light. In this study, the radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method was used to prepare a TiO2 thin film on the surface of stainless steel brackets. Eighteen groups of samples were made according to the experimental parameters. The crystal structure and surface morphology were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The photocatalytic properties under visible light irradiation were evaluated by measuring the degradation ratio of methylene blue. The sputtering temperature was set at 300°C, and the time was set as 180min, the ratio of Ar to N was 30:1, and annealing temperature was set at 450°C. The thin films made under these parameters had the highest visible light photocatalytic activity of all the combinations of parameters tested. Antibacterial activities of the selected thin films were also tested against Lactobacillus acidophilus and Candida albicans. The results demonstrated the thin film prepared under the parameters above showed the highest antibacterial activity.