Nanostructured Titanium Dioxide Films for Self-cleaning and Self-decontaminating Surfaces

During the last two decades there have been numerous reports of the use of titanium dioxide photocatalysis to break down organic pollutants in water and air. Furthermore, photocatalysis has been reported to be effective for the inactivation of microorganisms (eg. bacteria, protozoa, yeast and fungi). Self-cleaning photocatalytic coatings offer benefits in many areas including the prevention of hospital-acquired infections, and in particular those infections associated with medical devices.This paper will present an overview of the mechanism of photocatalytic detoxification and the super hydrophilic effect observed on “self-cleaning” TiO2 films. Photocatalytic research at the University of Ulster has focused on the development and application of nanostructured titanium dioxide films across a wide range of applications, and in particular towards the development of self-decontaminating films. The inactivation of chlorine resistant pathogens in water and the use of photocatalytic films for self-cleaning/self-decontaminating coatings on medical devices are discussed. Finally a summary of the recent commercial developments in this area will be presented.