Enhanced Photocatalytic and Photokilling Activities of Cu-Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles

Yumatorn Mingmongkol; Dang Trung Tri Trinh; Patcharaporn Phuinthiang; Duangdao Channei; Khakhanang Ratananikom; Auppatham Nakaruk; Wilawan Khanitchaidecha

doi:10.3390/nano12071198

Enhanced Photocatalytic and Photokilling Activities of Cu-Doped TiO₂ Nanoparticles

Nanomaterials (Basel). 2022 Apr 3;12(7):1198. doi: 10.3390/nano12071198.

Authors

Yumatorn Mingmongkol^{1

2}, Dang Trung Tri Trinh^{2

3}, Patcharaporn Phuinthiang^{1

2}, Duangdao Channei⁴, Khakhanang Ratananikom⁵, Auppatham Nakaruk^{2

6}, Wilawan Khanitchaidecha^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.
² Centre of Excellence for Innovation and Technology for Water Treatment, Faculty of Engineering, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.
³ Institute of Environmental Science & Technology, Tra Vinh University, Tra Vinh 87000, Vietnam.
⁴ Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.
⁵ Department of Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Health Technology, Kalasin University, Kalasin 46000, Thailand.
⁶ Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand.

Abstract

In this work, metal-doped titanium dioxide (TiO₂) was synthesised with the aim of improving photocatalytic degradation and antimicrobial activities; TiO₂ was doped with copper (Cu) ranging from 0.1 to 1.0 wt%. The physical and chemical properties of the Cu-doped TiO₂ nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) and diffuse reflection spectroscopy (DRS). The results revealed that the anatase phase of TiO₂ was maintained well in all the Cu-doped TiO₂ samples. No significant difference in the particle sizes or the specific surface areas was caused by increasing Cu doping. However, the band gap decreased continuously from 3.20 eV for undoped TiO₂ to 3.12 eV for 1.0 wt.% Cu-doped TiO₂. In addition, the 0.1 wt.% Cu-doped TiO₂ displayed a much greater photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and excellent antibacterial ability for Escherichia coli (E. coli) compared to undoped TiO₂. On the other hand, the high Cu doping levels had negative impacts on the surface charge of nanoparticles and charge transfer for OH• generation, resulting in decreasing MB degradation and E. coli photokilling for 1.0 wt.% Cu-doped TiO₂.

Keywords: Cu-doped TiO2; hydrothermal; nanoparticles; photocatalytic; photokilling.