Photoelectrocatalytic bacterial inactivation of on CuO/TiO@Cu mesh photoanodes

• Published in: Catalysis science & technology Vol. 1; no. 21; pp. 7378 - 7385
• Main Authors: Ding, Mengna, Shi, Fengyan, Zhu, Huijuan, Yang, Yuping, Zhong, Jiahui, Luo, Liulin, Huo, Yuning, Li, Hexing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 05.11.2020
• ISSN: 2044-4753; 2044-4761
• DOI: 10.1039/d0cy01500h

A hybrid Cu 2 O/TiO 2 composite loaded on a Cu mesh (Cu 2 O/TiO 2 @Cu mesh) was developed via a supercritical solvothermal route. A uniformly distributed Cu 2 O/TiO 2 p-n hetero-junction was stably coated on a Cu mesh, benefiting the visible-light harvesting. In comparison to electrochemistry and visible-light photocatalysis, the photoelectrochemistry process on the photoanode of the Cu 2 O/TiO 2 @Cu mesh presented improved bacterial inactivation activity for Acinetobacter baumannii . By means of the main active species of &z.rad;O 2 − radicals, the photoelectrocatalytic process on the Cu 2 O/TiO 2 @Cu mesh also realized complete leakage of K + ions, much stronger mineralization of the cell membrane and more efficient elimination of the self-recovery function, finally leading to cell death. In comparison, the electrochemistry process only led to the leakage of K + ions without inactivation of bacteria, and the visible-light photocatalysis process induced partial leakage of K + ions and cell mineralization after the death of most bacteria. A Cu 2 O/TiO 2 @Cu mesh acting as a photoanode presented strong photoelectrochemical activity for bacterial inactivation of Acinetobacter baumannii .