Comparative antibacterial effects of various types of ion-doped titanium dioxide under fluorescent light irradiation

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is one of the most widely used nanomaterials due to its potential advantages such as anti-microbial effects and toxic gas degradation. These properties arise from photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ when exposed to UV light. However, there are limitations for applications in the condition without UV. At present, ion-doped TiO₂ is commonly activated by visible light from either sun light or fluorescent lamps. The use of ion-doped TiO₂ has tendency to increase in the near future. Even though there are several reports on their synthesis, the antibacterial effects of ion-doped TiO₂ are still lacking. In this study, antibacterial effects against gram positive and gram negative bacteria under fluorescent light illumination of TiO₂ doped with different types of non-metal and metal ions were investigated. The results from this work would be essential as a selection guidance of ion-doped TiO₂ with maximum efficiency for specific products in industrial level.